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JOSEPH SMITH.

The PRpPHET of PALMYRA.

Gregg. The Prophet of Palmyra. Hormonism Reviewed and
Examined in the Life, Character and Career of its Founder, etc.,
etc. By Thomas Gregg. 12mo, cloth, JSjJoo. Now ready.

“ To the people of this vicinity the book is
doubly Interesting. Thomas Gregg, its author, is an old
resident of the country, and his intimate knowledge of
the Mormons, and familiarity with many of their lead¬
ers, makes this book authoritative to many of us who
know Mr. Gregg personally. The trace of the careful,
honest historian is seen all through its pages, while its
finish, mechanically, reflects credit upon the publisher.” —
Hamilton Pointer, Hancock Co., Ill.

“ A work written by our venerable friend,
Thomas Gregg, of Hamilton. The book is not only re¬
plete with historical information, but it is written in an in¬
teresting style that holds the attention of the reader. It is
a valuable accession to literature, and it will prove of espe¬
cial worth to people of this vicinity, once the centre of Mor-
monism — particularly to the generations that have come
on the stage of life since many of the incidents recorded in
this book were enacted. Not only is it worth a place in
every man’s library, but the price of the work makes this
possible. Although a well-bound volume of 552 pages, if
” — Bulletin, Warsaw, Ill.

“We have read enough to be able to assure
our readers that the promises of the title-page are fully
carried out in the body of the work. Although there are
many works extant on Mormon history, none has come to
our knowledge which so clearly and fully portrays the
character of Mormonism, the character of its author, the
sources from which the historical part of the Book of Mor¬
mon was obtained. The whole matter is treated by an
honest man having rare opportunities to gather the facts
and a disposition to spread the same impartially before the
public. This book contains just the information that every
intelligent citizen of Hancock County should possess.
Those of our people who came to the county in the last
thirty years have had but limited opportunity to learn
what every one living in the county in which so much of
Mormon history was made is expected to know, whenever
he falls in company with strangers. This book furnishes
just the means for posting up on the most exciting and in¬
teresting period of our country’s history, and every citizen
should avail himself of the opportunity. Besides this, to
the old citizens of the county, who were living here during
the Mormon period, the book contains much matter which
revives the memory of many highly-interesting events,
wholly or in part forgotten. To us, we have found it even
more interesting from this cause than any fresh historical
matter could be. Every old settler should therefore have
a copy of this work.” — Gazette, Carthage, Ill.

The Prophet of Palmyra.

Gregg. The Prophet of Palmyra. Mormonism Reviewed and
Examined in the Life, Character, and Calmer of its Founder, etc.,
etc. By Thomas Gregg. 12mo, cloth, s£oo.

A Letter from Col. John Hay.

Washington, May 19, 1890.

Dear Mr.. Gregg :

I have devoted all the time I could spare, for the last
few days, to reading your book, and now take great
pleasure in congratulating you on the work you have ac¬
complished. It is full, complete, and extremely readable.
The tone you have adopted is calm and impartial. So
many years have passed since the stirring events which
happened at your own door, that you have been able to
outlive what early prejudices you might have had, and
have written this work in a truthful, candid, and disinter¬
ested style. It forms a most valuable contribution to the
history of the time.

Yours sincerely,

John Hay.

“ The author, who has been a resident of Iowa and
Western Illinois since 1835, and was the publisher of the
second newspaper published west of the Mississippi, is
thoroughly conversant with the movement, and the object
of his book is to add, by the weight of testimony, to the
efforts that have been made to lay bare the origin, char¬
acter, and purpose of the scheme of deception which began
in New York, and which in its progress since has caused
so much misery and crime, and aims at insubordina¬
tion and independence in Utah. The book is full of mat¬
ters of great interest.” — Morning Call, San Francisco.

“ A handsomely printed volume of 552 pages, with a
dozen or more portraits of great Mormon leaders and his¬
toric places. The author is an old editor thoroughly con¬
versant with the facts about which he writes, and knew
personally many of the men who were leaders of the
Mormons forty and more years ago. He writes boldly,
and does not hesitate to call black black, and a spade a
spade. He was fully posted in all the movements at
Nauvoo, and a close observer of all that entered into the
life of Mormonism in its incipiency. He gives clear and
detailed accounts of the life and character of the founders
of the church, and enters upon an exhaustive investigation
of the great fraud of the celebrated “ Spalding Manu¬
script,” on which Mormonism was originally based. The
author is now 80 years old, but he writes with the fire and
vigor of a man of 40. Mormonism, in all its terrible rotten¬
ness at its birth and during its earlier years, has never been
more fully and clearly shown up.” — Inter-Ocean, Chicago.

THE

Prophet Palmyra
mormonism

Reviewed and Examined in the Life, Character, and Career of its Founder,
from ‘ ‘ Cumorah Hill ” to Carthage Jail and the Desert

TOGETHER WITH A COMPLETE

HISTORY OF THE MORMON ERA

In Illinois, and an Exhaustive Investigation of the “ Spalding
Manuscript ” Theory of the Origin of the Book of Mormon

THOMAS GREGG

NEW YORK

JOHN B. ALDEN, PUBLISHER

1890

TO THE READER.

Mrs. Paddock, in the Preface to one of her
remarkable portrayals of the inner life of Mormon-
ism, has the following paragraph :

“ Surely, to-day, whoever inflicts an additional
volume upon a long-suffering public, ought to be
able to set up an unassailable plea in justification
thereof.”

While this is true in a general sense, it is doubly
so in its relation to that band of people — knaves
and fanatics — who, more than fifty years ago began
a scheme of deception in New York, which, in its
progress since, has caused so much misery and
crime in many of the States, and now aims at
insubordination and independence in Utah.

Many books have been written on the subject of
Mormonism ; some of them honest, trustworthy,
and valuable ; others, sensational and unreliable ;
and still more, utterly unworthy. Yet, notwith¬
standing all this, the great Christian public in
America and abroad remains to-day strangely
indifferent to, and ignorant of, the origin, character,
and purposes of the miserable fraud.

TO THE HEADER.

The undersigned offers no apology for the matter
of the following pages. Content with his purpose
to add to the mass of credible history, and to aid
in exposing a most silly and dangerous delusion, he
leaves it with an intelligent and discerning public,
hoping neither to escape censure nor disarm crit
icism.

Hamilton, Illinois, 1889.

Th. Gregg.

CONTENTS,

CHAPTER I.

Introductory. ” l

Solomon Spalding — False Prophets in all Ages — Joseph Smith,
the Founder of Mormonism— Compared to Mahomet— His
Character and Aims — Origin of Mormonism — An Over¬
shadowing Question.

CHAPTER II.

The Beginnings of the Imposture. - 9

Disagreeing Statements — Impossible Claims — The Smith
Family — Ignorance and Superstition — The Prophet’s Own
Story — “History of Joseph Smith” — The Angel Neplii —
Plates Revealed — The Urim and Thummim — Second,
Third, and Fourth Visions — Hill of Cumorali — Stone Box
— The Prophet’s Marriage — “Persecutions” — After Four
Years — Martin Harris and the Translation.

CHAPTER III.

As Told by Others. 25

David Whitmer, One of the Eleven Witnesses — Interviewed
by the Kansas City Journal.

CHAPTER IV.

Highly Interesting Letter. 34

Letter from Hon. Stephen S. Harding, former Governor of
Utah Territory — His Boyhood Acquaintance with the
Smith Family.

CHAPTER V.

Ex-Governor Harding’s Letter Continue®. 45
Curious Developments — Harris’s Frenzy — An Incident in In¬
diana — In Utah — Reflections, Suggestions, etc.

CHAPTER VI.

Professor Anthon’s Story. - • 57

A Plain Statement which Everybody Can Believe.

viii

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.

A Terrible Dilemma. 63

Two Revelations and tlieir Causes — Harris and Satan Unjustly
Accused — The Real Culprit Unknown — A Happy Ruse
Solves the Difficulty.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Stoby and the Book Examined. - 75

Evidences of Falsity — The Record — Its Title — “ Confounding
of Language ” — The Nephite-Lamanite Americans — Metal
of the Plates— Plates Still Under Ground— A Bonanza-
Mariner’s Compass — To Work by Faith.

CHAPTER IX.

Examination Continued. 85

A Story for Ship-Builders — A Year’s Voyage — Eight Wonder¬
ful Barges — An Electric Light — The Land of Promise —
War a Pastime — A Great Battle — Words of Isaiah — Beasts
in the Promised Land — Remarkable Translation.

CHAPTER X.

Review Continued. 96

Testimony of Three Witnesses — Also of Eight Witnesses —

“What More Need he Said?” — Death to Behold the
Plates — A Box of Brickbats — Testimony Analyzed —
Smith’s Ipse Dixit — Collusion or Deception — Testimony
Invalid — Strang’s Failure — Laban’s Sword and Lelii’s
Directors.

CHAPTER XI.

Fubther Revelations and Labors. - 107

The World’s Redemption at Hand — Harris Obstinate, but
Yields — He Sees Money in It — Revelations Continue —
Church Discipline — Sidney Rigdon’s Hand Manifest —
A New Statement Concerning Him — Church Organized
— Calvin Stoddard’s Conversion — “Support” for the
Prophet — No. 1 Provided For — The Elect Lady — Rigdon
Converted— Takes High Rank— P. P. Pratt— Zion Estab¬
lished — Fanatical Excesses — Smith and Cowdery Bap¬
tized.

CHAPTER XII.

Stake Planting. - - 121

Translation of the Scriptures — Reasons for It — Translation
Suspended — The First Hegira — Cowdery’s Mission a Fail¬
ure — The Stake at Kirtland — Another in Missouri — Expe¬
dition Thither — Ezra Booth’s Secession — Zion Located —
An Organ Established — The Expulsion — A Crusade and
its Termination.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIII.

An Anti-Banking Bank. - - 133

Rigdon President, Smith Cashier — Notes Issued — No Redemp¬
tion — Pittsburgh Bankers — Bank Breaks — Flight of Its
Officers — The EIrtland Stake Abandoned.

CHAPTER XIV.

Further Stake Planting. - - 138

Adam-ondi-Ahmon, Far West, and Others — Apostasy Shows
its Head — The Danites — War and Violence — Mobs and
Banishment.

CHAPTER XV.

Across the Mississippi Eastward. - 149

Exodus from Missouri and First Appearance in Illinois —
Remarks — The Situation.

CHAPTER XVI.

Immigration and Settlement. - - 156

Status in Illinois — The New City — Mission to Washington —
Governor Lucas’s Letter — Great Church Conference — •
Mission to the Jews in Europe and Asia — Call to the
Faithful.

CHAPTER XVII.

Progress and Politics. - - 164

First Great Error — Presidential Election of 1840 — How Will
the Prophet Vote? — Whig Convention — Nominations — A
Disgraceful Act — Little and Douglas — Dr. Charles — The
Charters — Their Character — Organizations — John C. Ben¬
nett — The Warsaw Signal — Smith Offended — His Char¬
acteristic Letter — The Times and Seasons.

CHAPTER XVIII.

An Anti-Mormon Party. - - 175

Unworthy Sycophancy — A Growing Apprehension — Public
Meetings — An Anti-Mormon Party — Its Candidates
Elected — Thomas Ford for Governor — The Wasp.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Nauvoo Temple. - - 181

Temple Building — At Nauvoo — Corner-Stone Laid — Revela¬
tion Demanding It — Also a “Boarding House” — The
“Nauvoo House” Unfinished — Stockholders Named by
Revelation.

CHAPTER XX.

Much Ado About Theft. - - 189

Hyrum Smith’s Affidavit — And the Twelve — Brother Joseph’s
Affidavit and Proclamation— The Court-Martial and all tho
Generals.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXL

The Game of Habeas Corpus. - 196

Arrest of Smith at Quincy, 1841— Trial Before Judge Douglas
— Discharge — Attempted Assassination of Governor Boggs
of Missouri — O. P. Rockwell Charged with the Crime —
New Demand for Smith and Rockwell — Arrest in Nauvoo
— Habeas Corpus Applied by the Municipal Court — Ford’s
Statement — Re-arrest and Trial Before Judge Pope and
Discharge — The Writs, etc.

CHAPTER XXII.

More Habeas Corpus Work. - 206

Another Indictment and Demand — Congressional Canvass —
Walker and Hoge — Arrest Near Dixon — Great Excitement
— The Officers Prisoners — The Prophet Triumphant — A
Strange Cavalcade — Another Habeas Corpus — Lawyer
Southwick’s Statement — Result of the Canvass — “ Brother
Hyrum’s” Revelation — Walker Defeated.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Two Ways of Telling a Story. - 218

Story of the Arrest, as Told by Two — The Prophet’s Story —
The Officer’s Story.

CHAPTER XXIV.

A Storm-Cloud Rises. - - 223

Quarrel Between the Chiefs— General Bennett’s Defection —
Charges and Denials— Bennett Accepts the “Buffetings”
and Leaves— His Letters to the Sangamo Journal — Tes¬
timonials Pro and Con.

CHAPTER XXV.

A Presidential Candidate. - - 232

For President of the United States, General Joseph Smith, of
Illinois — For Vice-President, Sidney Rigdon, of Pennsyl¬
vania.

CHAPTER XXVI.

An Impending Crisis. - - 235

Rumblings of a Volcano — A Secession Organized — An Opposi¬
tion Church— A Newspaper “Nuisance” Abated.

CHAPTER XXVII.

A Strange Document. - 245

Showing the Reasons Why— Nauvoo Neighbor Extra— Recit¬
ing Action of the City Council Regarding the Expositor
N uisance — Official.

CONTEXTS.

CHAPTER XXYIH.

The Atonement. ... 269

Great Excitement — Writs Procured— Public Meetings — Citi¬
zens Arming — The Governor Appealed to — Arrives at
Carthage and Takes Command — Mayor and Council of
Nauvoo Summoned — Arrested, but Fail to Appear —
Finally Came in and Surrendered — Released on Bail — Re¬
arrested for Treason — Governor’s Definition of Treason —
Marches with a Small Force to the City — The Smiths
Killed in Jail — Great Consternation.

CHAPTER XXIX.

How the Deed Was Done. - - 281

Effect of the Panic — Governor Ford’s Plan Revealed — Atttack
on the Jail by the Mob — The Prophet and His Brother
Killed— How it was Done — Purposes of the Mob — Willard
Richard’s Statement.

CHAPTER XXX.

Akbests, Indictments, and Trials. - 293

Military Encampment Called — The Wolf Hunt— Governor
Ford Interferes — Brings Another Force — March to Nauvoo
—To Warsaw — Joseph H. Jackson — Indictments — Trials
of the Prisoners — Found Not Guilty.

CHAPTER XXXI.

Struggle fob the Succession. - 303

Sidney Rigdon — Brigham Young — Parley P. Pratt — Orson
Pratt — William Smith — Orson Hyde — James J. Strang —
An Ecclesiastical Trial — Hyde on Rigdon.

CHAPTER XXXII.

A New Prophet— James J. Strang. - 312

Strang’s Claim to the Succession — His Revelation — Sets up at
Voree — He, too, Finds Plates — His Arrogance and Pre¬
tensions — Arrested for Treason — Tried and Acquitted — '
A Polygamist — His Violent Death — Fate of Mormon
Prophets.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

More Violence and Bloodshed. - 320

Three Obnoxious Officials — Arrest of Senator Davis— Nauvoo
Charter Repealed — Increase of Crime — Murder of Miller
and Leiza — Of Irvine Hodge — Of Colonel Davenport — Of
Dr. Marshall — Death of Sheriff Deming — Burning of Mor-
ley-Town — Killing of Lieutenant Worrell — Of McBratney
— Of Wilcox and Danbenheyer — Incidents of the Burning
—Arrival of Colonel Hardin with State Troops.

xii

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Nine Counties Interfere— The End Approaching. 334
Colonel Hardin and His Advisers — Major Warren Left in Com¬
mand — Convention of Nine Counties — Browning’s Resolu¬
tions — Action of the Convention — Correspondence with
the Mormon Leaders — The Inevitable Accepted.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Exodus Begun. - - 342

Active Preparations for Leaving — Crossing into Iowa — Major
Warren and His Force — Disbanded and Re-mustered — O.
P. Rockwell — Arrest, Trial, and Acquittal — Dr. Pickett—
Posse Called Out — Major Parker’s Force — War of Procla¬
mations — Posse under Carlin — Singleton’s Peace— Resigns
the Command — Major Brockman Succeeds — Advance
toward the City.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

A Battle — A Treaty — And the End. - 353

Warsaw Signal's Report of the Battle — Quincy Committee
of One Hundred — A Truce — The City Surrenders — The
Treaty — The Killed and Wounded — More Trouble and
More Troops — Reflections.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

The Exodus— The Desert and Wilderness. 363
Brigham Young’s Choice — En-route Westward — Kanesville —
“Winter Quarters” — Colonel Kane’s Description — Mis¬
souri Republican Correspondent — The Mormon Battalion
—Brigham Assumes Supreme Power — Pushes on to Salt
Lake and Returns — Main Body Reaches the Valley — Stake
Planted — State of Deseret.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

The Mormon Temples. - 380

The Kirtland Temple — In Missouri — At Nauvoo — Its Destruc¬
tion by Fire — The Baptismal Font — Important Decision
in Ohio.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

The “Reconstructed” Mormon Church. 388

CHAPTER XL.

Polygamy and the Blood Atonement. 394

The Twin Evils of Mormonism — Polygamy in Utah — De¬
nounced by the “Reconstructed” — Originated by the
Prophet — Proofs Adduced — Blood Atonement Defined by
Young — Known in Missouri and Illinois — Smith and
Rigdon Its Authors.

CONTENTS.

xiii

CHAPTER XLI.

The Spalding Romance. - - 408

Review of the Situation — Dr. Hurlbut and E. D. Howe — Their
Book Mormonism Unveiled — Solomon Spalding’s Marne-
script Found — Efforts to Obtain It — Recent Statements
Concerning It.

CHAPTER XLII.

Statements of the Spalding Family. - 417

Mrs. Davison’s Statement — Denied by the Mormons — Mrs.
Dickinson’s Publication in Scribner's Magazine — J. E.
Johnson in Deseret News — Disagreeing Statements.

CHAPTER XLIII.

The Spalding Witnesses. - - 431

Statement of John Spalding — Of Martha Spalding — Of Henry
Lake — John N. Miller — Aaron Wright — Oliver Smith —
Nahum Howard — Artemus Cunningham.

CHAPTER XLIV.

Later Testimony. - - 441

Mr. Cooper in Cincinnati Gazette — Joseph Miller’s Letter
— Abner Jackson’s Narrative — “Mere Supposition” vs.
“God-Given Testimony” — Resume of Testimony — The
Book’s Proper Title — Mr. Patterson — Rev. J. Winter —
Rigdon’s Hand Manifest.

CHAPTER XLV.

Afteb Fifty Years. - - 458

A Strange Discovery — A Spalding Manuscript Found in Hon¬
olulu — A God-Send to the Mormons — False Impression —
Not the Manuscript Found — Of No Historic Value — De¬
scription and Comments on MS. at Oberlin College —
Eloquent Reference to Spalding’s Work.

CHAPTER XL VI.

The Nauvoo Charter. - - 463

CHAPTER XL VII.

Some of the City Ordinances. - 472

CHAPTER XLVIII.

Celebrated “Celestial Marriage” Revelation. 478

CHAPTER XL IX.

Miscellaneous and Anecdotal. - 489

The Kinaerhook Plates — Titles of the Twelve — The Prophet
as a Linguist — Some Mormon Methods — The Prophet and
Church as Land Speculators — A Story from Stenhouse —
Bishop John D. Lee— The “ Corrected ” Holy Scriptures.

CONTENTS.

xiv

APPENDIX.

The Leaders in the Revolt at Nauvoo
Governor West and the Polygamists, ’
A Characteristic Document, -
Mrs. Emma Smith’s Letter, ’

The Mormons or Latter-Day Saints, -

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Joseph Smith, - Frontispiece.

Oliver Cowdery, ----- 98

David Whitmer, ----- 98

Martin Harris, ----- 98

P. P. Pratt, 116

The Temple at Nauvoo, - - - - 181

Hyrum Smith, ------ 189

Major-General John C. Bennett, - - - 224

The Scene of Smith’s Death, - 284

Brigham Young ----- 304

Baptismal Font, ----- 382

Ruins of the Temple at Nauvoo, - - - 384

Fac-simile from the so-called “ Book of Abraham,” 492

The Prophet of Palmyra.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

Solomon Spalding — False Prophets in All Ages — Joseph
Smith, the Founder of Mormonism-- Compared to
Mahomet — His Character and Aims — Origin of Mor¬
monism— An Absorbing Question.

Poor, unfortunate, somewhat unbalanced, yet
honest and well-meaning Solomon Spalding!
His name will go down to posterity as the inno¬
cent originator of one of the most stupendous and
wicked frauds ever perpetrated upon the world.
Had he lived to witness the result of his work —
work in which he took so much delight and spent
so many days of his life — his gray head would
have been bowed down with sorrow. But he was
kindly spared the infliction. He died in 1816,
and the fraud perpetrated upon his work and his
good name was not committed till some ten or
twelve years after he had been laid peacefully in
his grave. The story of his connection with the
Mormon scheme will be fully told in future chap¬
ters of this work.

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

Prophets have flourished ever since the world
was peopled. But, unfortunately for the world,
many of them have been false prophets ; and
prophesying, instead of being a vehicle of God’s
will to man, has been used for base and selfish
ends and purposes, and to impose on the credulous
and unwary. People of every age have been prone
to run after false prophets. Hence the boldest,
most daring and unscrupulous among them — he
who has put on the most sanctity and arrogated to
himself the highest authority — has generally been
the most successful. As a rule, their careers have
been short and their influence limited. The claims
and pretensions of a few, however, have wrought
great evil upon the world, and added many dark
and bloody pages to its history. One. and not the
least of these, will be the subject of these pages.
That such a career as was his, with such remark¬
able results following, could be run in this en¬
lightened Nineteenth Century, and in a land where
Christianity and Civilization have shed their benign
rays, is a mystery which the writer prefers to leave
his x-eaders to solve.

On the 27th of June, 1844, was killed by a mob
at the jail in Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois,
Joseph Smith, the founder of the sect of Latter-
Day Saints, and who claimed to have been divinely
commissioned as a “Pi-ophet, Seer, and Kevelatoi*.”

, INTRODUCTORY.

Born in the State of Vermont, reared in Western
New York, residing three or four years in Ohio,
about as long in Missouri, and over five years in
Illinois, he had adopted a policy which made him
inimical to the people everywhere, and finally
brought him to a violent and bloody death.

Parallels to this man’s remarkable career have
been sought in history. It has been likened to
that of Mahomet. When at Mecca, in Arabia, the
great founder of Islamism began his eventful career,
he was doubtless honest in his purposes, which
were to reform and improve the idolatrous worship
of his people. But he was an enthusiast and a
fanatic. With an ardent temperament and a rest¬
less and uneasy spirit, he could not brook opposi¬
tion. His efforts met first with neglect, then ridi¬
cule and contumely, and finally with resistance and
violence. Friends and neighbors turned to ene¬
mies, and their opposition increased till he was
compelled to fly from his native city to save his
life. The vindictive persecution and violence to
which he was subjected, changed the character of
the man, and henceforth revenge and ambition be¬
came his ruling passions.

But his career, in whatever light it may be re¬
garded, was a most remarkable one. Living
amongst the idolatries of the Pagan, Jewish, and
Christian systems, in one of the darkest of the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA .

Dark Ages of the world, he built up a system,
which, to say the least, was superior to, and an
improvement upon, anything by which he was sur¬
rounded. His successes were unprecedented in
the world’s history. During his own lifetime and
that of his faithful friend and co-worker, Abou-
Bekir, his creed, through his zeal — aided by the
sword and scimiter, potent agents in the work of
propagandism in all ages — had become the recog¬
nized faith through all Arabia, and was fast under¬
mining all the other systems about him.

The curious career of the Prophet of Mormonism
has sometimes been contrasted with that of this
great leader. But the contrast affords but slight
parallel. When “Joe Smith” — as the Mormon
Prophet was always designated in his youth (a title
which stuck to him through life) — began his career
at Palmyra in the State of New York, his motives
were not honest, nor was he prompted by either
revenge or ambition. His untutored and feeble in¬
tellect had not yet grasped at anything beyond
mere toying with mysterious things. It is evident
that he had at first no higher purpose in view. He
was one of those indolent and illiterate young men,
too numerous in all communities, who hope to shun
honest labor, and who have imbibed the pernicious
doctrine embraced in the phrase: “The world
owes me a living.” Any means that would enable

INTRODUCTORY.

him to obtain that living he ready to employ.
Hence we find him at an early age, trying his skill
at little tricks to impose on the credulity of his
ignorant associates. As he grew in years, search¬
ing for lost treasure became one of his favorite
employments ; for was it not better, he reasoned,
to obtain the golden thousands from the nooks and
crevices of the earth, where Captain Kidd and the
pirates and robbers had secreted them, and live in
ease and idleness, than to obtain a small com¬
petency by the slow and uncertain processes of
honest labor? And thus he plodded on, till ac¬
cident opened a new career for him. A petty theft,
by himself or one of his co-workers, placed the
Spalding ‘ ‘ Manuscript Found ” in his hands ; and
then it was that the idea of a new sect, a new creed,
a new and deeper play upon popular ignorance
and credulity, and consequent power, and place,
and fortune, were gradually developed and boldly
and persistently and most wickedly carried for¬
ward — aided by confederates as bad as himself and
with similar purposes in view.

No ; the character and aims of these two false
prophets afford but slight parallel ; in their suc¬
cessful career, a stronger resemblance is to be
traced.

Mormonism had its origin and incipient growth
in Western New York, whore it attracted little at-

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tention beyond the ridicule of sensible people and
the gaping wonder of a few seekers after the new
and the marvellous — and it sought fresh fields. In
Northern Ohio it gained strength by contact with
the world ; and there, too, its leaders made the
discovery that the way to notoriety and success
was to create opposition ; and an aggressive policy
was boldly adopted, and aggressive tenets en¬
grafted into the creed. In North Missouri it in¬
creased greatly in strength ; but in its violent con¬
tests with its neighbors and the authorities, it
became dismembered and broken, and was finally
violently expelled from the State. Poor, dis¬
heartened, and scattered — its prophet and some
other leaders in prison — all of its members who
could muster courage and means made their way
eastward across the State to Illinois, where their
forlorn condition attracted the sympathy and aid
of all classes of people. Settling in the latter
State, at Commerce, in Hancock county, in time
the same aggressive policy was pursued ; and after
eight years of arrogant pretension, active prose-
lytism, and stupendous folly, it met the fate it had
encountered in Missouri, together with the loss of
its daring prophet and leader. Later, under an
equally daring and more able successor, it sought
isolation and a home among the rugged crags and
mountains and fertile valleys of Utah — where it

introdvctohy.

has for more than a third of a century increased in
an astonishing degree, and developed into what
it now is, an ugly and troublesome excrescence on
the body politic, and a disgrace to the nation and
to civilization.

While the “Latter-Day Saints” remained in
Ohio, Missouri, or Illinois, the “ Mormon Ques¬
tion ” was only one of local or State concern. But
since they have withdrawn to the wilderness, and
there writhin the tei'ritory and under the jurisdiction
and flag of the United States, have assumed an in¬
dependent position and arrayed themselves in open
hostility to the government, the matter takes a
new shape. From a State problem it has advanced
to a National one, and one that is daily becoming
of greater magnitude, nowT seriously agitating the
minds of the best statesmen of our country.

It bids fair to overshadow all other social ques¬
tions. It is therefore highly important and neces¬
sary that the reading public should be fully in¬
formed, not only as to what Mormonism now is,
but made acquainted with the origin, history and
development of this the most wicked and dangerous
folly of the Nineteenth Century, and with the life,
character, and purposes of its founders. Such is
the task before us, and to which these efforts are
directed.

The term “Mormonism” is a coinage of the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

present century. It is derived from the name of
one of the chief writers of the so-called Book of
Mormon (though why after Mormon, rather than
Nephi, Moroni, Alma, Enos, or Lehi, it would be
hard to tell) — a silly and little worthy, but in the
eyes of its deluded believers, the most sacred of all
books. It is less interesting and far feebler than
the Koran, the holy book of Islam. Its chief in¬
gredients are ignorance and arrogance, and it
abounds in blasphemy ; it is full of falsehood, in¬
justice toward man and impiety toward God. To
accept the claims and adopt the teachings of its
chief adherents, is to eschew holiness and good¬
ness, and to dethrone the Almighty.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOST L EE. 9

CHAPTER II.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE.

Disagreeing Statements — Impossible Claims — The Smith
Family — Ignorance and Superstition — The Prophet’s
Own Story — “History of Joseph Smith” — The Angel
Nephi — Plates Revealed— The Urlw and Thummim —
Second, Third, and Fourth Visions — Hill of Cumorah
— Stone Box — The Prophet’s Marriage — “ Persecu¬
tions” — After Four Years — Martin Harris and the
Translation.

In the matter of the early life of Joseph Smith
there is great contrariety of statement . The testi¬
mony of the Smith family, and of his faithful
believers, goes to show that he was a most exem¬
plary youth, truthful, without guile, and ever seek¬
ing for the highest religious truth. As this is the
testimony of interested witnesses only, we are
bound to reject it for that of his neighbors, who,
with great unanimity, tell a far different story —
that he was indolent, ignorant, untruthful, and
superstitious.

This counter-testimony has been obtained from
a great many sources — people in several sections of
the country where he was best known, and some
of whom, in high standing, are still living to re¬
affirm statements made long ago by themselves and

10 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

others, and who could have no reason for falsifying
or traducing his character. Coupled with much of
his conduct after he had reached years of mature
manhood, it furnishes irresistible proof that his
youth was such as would render it preposterous
and impossible that he should have been selected
through divine agency to carry a God-given reve¬
lation to mankind and lead in a great reformation.
To adopt any other theory would require that we
should accept entirely new ideas of God’s provi¬
dence and of divine things.

The Smith family to which he belonged was of
Yankee origin ; Joseph, the elder, having removed
from Vermont to Western New York when that
country was new and sparsely settled. He is said
to have been a soldier of the Revolution. Ignorance
and superstition seem to have been traits in the
family. The district in which they had resided in
Vermont, had for several years been the home of
an arrant pretender to supernatural things, living
upon the credulity of the people, and who had
committed gross crimes under the plea of religious
inspiration — crimes which he afterwards expiated
in the State’s prison.* Some of the practices of
the Mormon Prophet in after years, in New York
and elsewhere, show a remarkable resemblance to
the doings of this Vermont pretender, leading to

Stephen Burrows.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 11

the conclusion that he must have been at least
familiar with them.

Mr. E. D. Howe, in his valuable work, Mor-
monism Unveiled (Painesville, Ohio, 1834), pre¬
sents the testimonials of eighty-one persons,
neighbors and acquaintances of the Smith family,
all attesting to their illiteracy and generally worth¬
less and disreputable character, especially that of
the son “Joe,” as he was called. Among the
most damaging of these statements, perhaps, is that
of Isaac Hale, of Harmon}', Pa., whose daughter
the would-be prophet married. These testimonials,
it will be remembered, were obtained in 1833,
only three years after the Booh of Mormon ap¬
peared, and after the Smiths had left Palmyra and
Manchester, where most of these certifiers resided.

The prophet’s own story of his early life, and
the manner in which he was called to the high
position he claimed to occupy, is to be found in the
third volume of the Times and Seasons, the organ
of the Mormon Church at Xauvoo, of which he was
editor — page 706. It purported to have been pre¬
pared at the request of Hon. John Wentworth,
editor of the Chicago Democrat. A few of the
leading paragraphs were also contributed to, and
are to be found in, a volume entitled, History of
the Religious Denominations of the United States,

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

published in Philadelphia. The more important
portions are herewith given :

JOSEPH SMITH’S STATEMENT.

“I was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor
county, Vermont, on the 23d of December, 1805.
When ten years old my parents removed to Pal¬
myra, N. Y., where we resided about four years,
and from there we removed to the town of Man¬
chester, a distance of six miles.

“My father was a farmer, and taught me the
art of husbandry. When about fourteen years of
age, I began to reflect upon the importance of being
prepared for a future state, and upon inquiring the
plan of salvation, I found there was a great clash
in religious sentiment; if I went to one society
they referred me to one plan, and another to an¬
other, each one pointing to his own particular
creed as the summum bonum, of perfection. Con¬
sidering that all could not be right, and that God
could not be the author of so much confusion, I
determined to investigate the subject more fully,
believing that if God had a church it would not be
split up into factions, and that if He taught one
society to worship one way, and administer in one
set of ordinances, He would not teach another prin¬
ciples which were diametrically opposed. Believ¬
ing the word of God, I had confidence in the
declaration of James : ‘ If any man lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally
and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.’

“ I retired to a secret place in a grove, and began
to call upon the Lord. While fervently engaged
in supplication, my mind was taken away from the
objects with which I was surrounded, and I was
enrapt in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious
personages who exactly resembled each other in
features and likeness, surrounded by a brilliant

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 13

light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day. They
told me that all the religious denominations were
believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of
them were acknowledged of God as His Church
and Kingdom. And I was expressly commanded
‘ to go not after them,’ at the same time receiving
a promise that the fulness of the gospel should at
some future time be made known to me.

“ On the evening of the 21st of September, a.d.
1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeav¬
oring to exercise faith in the precious promises of
Scripture, on a sudden a light like that of day, only
of a far purer and more glorious appearance and
brightness, burst into the room ; indeed, the first
sight was as though the house was filled with con¬
suming fire. The appearance produced a shock
that affected the whole body. In a moment a per¬
sonage stood before me, surrounded with a glory yet
greater than that with which I was already sur¬
rounded. The messenger proclaimed himself to be
an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings
that the covenant which God made with ancient
Israel was at hand to be fulfilled ; that the prepara¬
tory work for the second coming of the Messiah
was speedily to commence ; that the time was at
hand for the gospel in all its fulness, to be preached
in power unto all nations, that the people might be
prepared for the millennial reign.

‘ ‘ I was informed that I was chosen to be an in¬
strument in the hands of God to bring about some
of his purposes in this glorious dispensation.

“ I was informed, also, concerning the aboriginal
inhabitants of this country, and shown who they
were and from whence they came ; a brief sketch
of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, govern¬
ments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the
blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them
as a people, was made known to me. I was also

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

told where there was deposited some plates, on which
was engraved an abridgment of the records of the
ancient prophets that had existed on this continent.
The angel appeared to me three times the same night,
and unfolded the same things. After having received,
many visits from the angel of God, unfolding the
majesty and glory of the events that should trans¬
pire in the last days, o* the morning of the 22d of
September, a.d. 1827, the angel of the Lord deliv¬
ered the records into my hands.

“ These records were engraven on plates, which
had the appearance of gold ; each plate was six inches
wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as
common tin. They were filled with engravings in
Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume
as the leaves of a book, with three rings running
through the whole. The volume was something neat
six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed,
The characters in the unsealed part were small and
beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited
many marks of antiquity in its construction, and
much skill in the art of engraving. With the
records was found a curious instrument, wrhich the
ancients called ‘ Urim and Thummim,’ which con¬
sisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a
bow fastened to a breast-plate.

“ Through the medium of the ‘ Urim and Thum¬
mim ’ I translated the records, by the gift and
power of God.

“ In this important and interesting book, the his¬
tory of ancient America is unfolded, from its first
settlement by a colony that came from the tower of
Babel, at the confusion of languages, to the begin¬
ning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We
are informed by these records that America in
ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct
races of people. The first were called Jaredites,
and came directly from the tower of Babel. The

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 15

second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem,
about six hundred years before Christ. They were
principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph.
The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that
the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded
them in the inheritance of the country. The prin¬
cipal nation of the second race fell in battle toward
the close of the fourth century. The remnant are
the Indians that now inhabit this country. This
book also tells us that our Saviour made his appear¬
ance upon this continent after his resurrection, that
he planted the gospel here in all its fulness, and
riches, and power, and blessing ; that they had
apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangel¬
ists ; the same order, the same priesthood, the
same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessing, as
was enjoyed on the eastern continent ; that the
people were cut off in consequence of their trans¬
gressions ; that the last of their prophets who
existed among them was commanded to write an
abridgment of their prophecies, history, etc., and
to hide it up in the earth, and that it should come
forth and be united with the Bible for the accom¬
plishment of the purposes of God in the last days.
For a more particular account, I would refer to the
Book of Mormon, which can he purchased at
Nauvoo, or from any of our travelling elders .”

The account goes on to say that the Church was
organized on the 6th day of April, 1830 ; that the
work “ rolled forth with astonishing rapidity,” and
churches were soon formed in the States of New
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Missouri ; that in the latter, large settlements were
made, where they suffered divers persecutions and
were finally, in 1839, driven out to find a home in

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Illinois. To the good character of the people of
Illinois, we have the prophet’s own testimony in
the following paragraph :

“ In the situation before alluded to, we arrived
in the State of Illinois in 1839, where we found a
hospitable people and a friendly home ; a people
who were willing to be governed by the principles
of law and humanity. We have commenced to
build a city called Natjvoo, in Hancock county ;
we number from six to eight thousand here, besides
vast numbers in the country around, and in almost
every county in the State. We have a city charter
granted us, and a charter for a Legion, the troops
of which now number fifteen hundred. We have
also a charter for a university, for an agricultural
and manufacturing society, have our own laws and
administrators, and possess all the privileges that
other free and enlightened citizens enjoy.

“ ... It (the Gospel of Mormonism) has

penetrated our cities, it has spread over our villages,
and has caused thousands of our intelligent, noble,
and patriotic citizens to obey its divine mandates,
and be governed by its sacred truths. It has also
spread in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales,
. . . and in Germany, Palestine, New Hol¬

land, the East Indies, and other places, the stand¬
ard of truth has been erected.”

Exaggeration, in its earlier days, as now, was a
marked characteristic of Mormonism. All the fore¬
going statements, except those relating to the char¬
ters and the possession of unusual laws and privi¬
leges, were grossly untrue at the time they were
written.

In corroboration of his claim to a divine calling,

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 17

we find in the Times and Seasons, the organ before
mentioned, an extended “ History of Joseph
Smith,” written in the first person, and running
through many issues of that journal. The earliest
of these numbers is lost, the first one before us
opening with an account of his first adventure with
the angel. It is to be noted that, in all this account,
he speaks of it as a “ vision.”

“ I have actually seen a vision, and ‘ wTho am I,
that I can withstand God,’ or why does the wrorld
think to make me deny what I have actually seen?
for I had seen a vision.

“ . . . I continued to pursue my common

avocations in life until the 21st of September, 1823,
all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands
of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious,
because I continued to affirm that I had seen a
vision.”

And on that evening he retired to his bed in full
confidence that another similar manifestation was
to be vouchsafed to him. — Vol. iff., p. 749, Times
and Seasons.

And sure enough, the expected ‘‘vision” came
— in the form of a light, “until the room was
lighter than at noon-day” — and in that light a
personage appeared and stood by his bedside ; he
was unearthly white, as were his robes ; and his
hands and wrists, and feet and ankles, were naked,
and he stood on nothing, “for his feet did not
touch the floor.”

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ He called me by name, and said unto me that
he was a messenger sent from the presence of God
to me, and that his name was Nephi.* That God
had a work for me to do, and that my name should
be had for good and evil, among all nations, kindreds
and tongues.”

We can well believe that this vision was, at least,
partly true ; for his name has been had for ‘ ‘ evil ”
among many nations.

And then the angel Nephi went on to reveal to
him the existence of the “golden plates,” the
“Urim and Thummim,” and the “breastplates,”
and “ silver bows,” and that the possession and use
of these was what constituted seers in olden times,
and that God had prepared these for his use. Then
Nephi read to him long chapters from Scripture :
third chapter of Malachi, the fourth with variations,
the eleventh of Isaiah, the third of Acts, the second
of Joel, and many others “too numerous to men¬
tion.” But — he so charged him — when these golden
plates were obtained, and the breastplate, and the
Urim and Thummim, he was not to show them to
any person on pain of utter destruction. And
while the angel was still talking, his vision caused
him to behold the exact spot where these wonderful
things were deposited — in “ Cumorah hill,” two
miles awajr. The angel appeared to him twice more

* For the character of this Messenger from God, see other
pages of this history.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 19

that night, relating “ the very same things which
he had done at the first visit, without the least
variation,” and adding more concerning the judg¬
ments to come upon this generation. And this not
being enough, on the next day, in the field, he had
another vision in which the angel appeared as be¬
fore, and repeated the whole story. — Times and
Seasons, vol. iii. , 753.

What may have been the acquirements of Nephi
when in the flesh, according to the Book of
Mormon, he certainly exhibited great volubility
as an angel, in the presence of our vision-seeing
prophet ; for here we find him reading five chap¬
ters from Scripture, “and many others,” three
times in one night, besides much other talk, “ Avith-
out the least variation.”

The next thing to be done was to verify this
four-fold A'ision. How this was done, we are thus
informed.:

“ I left the field, and Avent to the place where the
messenger had told me the plates were deposited ;
and owing to the distinctness of the vision Avhich I
had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant
I arrived there. Convenient to the village of Man¬
chester, Ontario County, Xew York, stands a hill
of considerable size, and the most elevated of any
in the neighborhood ; on the west side of this hill
not far from the top, under a stone of considerable
size, lay the plates deposited in a stone box ; this
stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the
upper side, and thinner toAvards the edges, so that

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the middle part of it was visible above the ground,
but the edge all around was covered with earth.
Having removed the earth and obtained a lever,
which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and
with a little exertion raised it up, I looked in, and
there, indeed, did I behold the plates, the Urim
and Thummim and the breastplate, as stated by
the messenger. The box in which they lay was
formed by laying stones together in some kind of
cement ; in the bottom of the box were laid two
stones, crossways of the box, and on these stones
lay the plates and the other things with them. I
made an attempt to take them out, but was forbid¬
den by the messenger, and was again informed that
the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived,
neither would it until four years from that time ;
but he told me that I should come to that place
precisely in one year from that time, and that he
would there meet with me, and that I should con¬
tinue to do so, until the time should come for ob¬
taining the plates. Accordingly, as I had been
commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at
each time I found the same messenger there, and
received instruction and intelligence from him at
each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord
was going to do, and how and in what manner His
Kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.”

And the long four years rolled on ; long and
tedious they must have seemed to one who had so
great and important a commission placed upon him.
Ignorant and ill-prepared, as he confessedly was
for such a work, he made no special effort to
qualify himself, but continued to perform his usual
daily labors, sometimes about home and sometimes
Abroad ; part of the time (in the month of October,

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 21

1825), with an old gentleman named “ Stoal,” who
lived in Chenango County, but Avas searching for a
Spanish silver mine at Harmony, in Susquehanna
County, Pennsylvania. With this gentleman he
worked for a month, and —

“Hence arose the very prevalent story of my
having been a money-digger.”

How digging for a Spanish silver mine on the
Susquehanna river in Pennsylvania, would cause
excavations all about Palmyra and Manchester, in
New York, is left unexplained. We liaAre it from
present residents of Palmyra, made to the writer
of these pages recently, that, though mostly oblit¬
erated by time, some of these excavations are still
to be seen.

Within this period of four years, waiting, he was
also married to Miss Emma Hale, daughter of
Isaac Hale, of Harmony, Avith whom he boarded
Avhile at work for Mr. Stowell. This marriage took
place clandestinely, being much opposed by Mr.
Hale, who believed his daughter was joining her
fortunes Avith a worthless and undeserving young
man.

At length the auspicious 27th of September,
1827, arrived, and our vision-seer Avent to the al¬
ready opened stone box, where he met the messen¬
ger, as promised, and received the ancient relics at
his hands. He was admonished that he would be

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

held responsible for them, that if he let them go in
any way through neglect, he would be cut olf — and
if at any time he (the messenger) should call for
. them, they must be delivered up.

During all the years previous to his receiving
the plates, so the story runs, he had been the sub¬
ject of violent and cruel persecution, because of his
declaration and continued protestation that he
“ had seen a vision.” And now, that the promised
precious relics were in his possession, this perse¬
cution increased with redoubled force. And this
explains the conduct of the angel :

" I soon found out the reason why I received such
strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was
that the messenger had said that when I had done
what was required at my hand, he would call for
them ; for no sooner was it known that I had them
than the most strenuous exertions were used to get
them from me ; every stratagem that could be in¬
vented was resorted to for that purpose ; the per¬
secution became more bitter and severe than before,
and multitudes were on the alert continually to get
them from me if possible ; but by the wisdom of
God they remained safe in my hands, until I had
accomplished by them what was required at my
hand, when, according to arrangements, the mes¬
senger called for them, I delivered them up to him,
and he has them in his charge until this day, being
the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred
and thirty-eight.”

Martin Harris, of Palmyra, who is declared to be
“ a gentleman and a farmer of respectability,” be-

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IMPOSTURE. 23

came interested in the matter, and to him Smith
confided some of the characters which he had drawn
from the plates. Harris took them to the city of
New York for the purpose of having them tested
by literary men. The following is given by Smith
as Harris’s statement on his return :

“ I went to the city of New York (said Harris)
and presented the characters which had been trans¬
lated, with the translation thereof, to Professor
Anthony, a gentleman celebrated for his literary
attainments ; Professor Anthony stated that the
translation was correct, more so than any he had
before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then
showed him those which were not yet translated,
and he said they were Egyptian, Chaldeac, Assyr-
iac, and Arahac, and he said that they were the
true characters. He gave me a certificate certifying
to the people of Palmyra that they were true char¬
acters, and that the translation of such of them as
had been translated, was also correct. I took the
certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just
leaving the house, when Mr. Anthony called me
back, and asked me how the young man found out
that there were gold plates in the place where he
found them. I answered that an angel of God had
revealed it unto him.

“ He then said to me, let me see that certificate.
I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it
to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, say¬
ing that there was no such thing now as ministering
of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to
him, he would translate them. I informed him that
part of the plates were sealed, and that I was for¬
bidden to bring them, he replied, ‘ I cannot read a
sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell,

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYRA.

who sanctioned what Professor Anthony had said
respecting both the characters and the translation.”

It is evident that the foregoing is a sheer fabri¬
cation, concocted by either Harris or the prophet,
most probably the latter. Professor Anthon’s
statement, made some time afterwards, shows in
what light he regarded the story told him by
Harris.

It is a curious fact, and furnishes another evi¬
dence of the true character of Mormonism, that four
years before this statement was printed in Nauvoo,
this same Martin Harris — the “ gentleman and
farmer of respectability ” — was publicly denounced
by the prophet through his newspaper organ, as
“a liar and swindler.” — See Elders' Journal ,
August, 1838.

AS TOLD BY OTHEBS.

CHAPTER III.

AS TOLD BY OTHERS.

David Whither, One op the Original Eleven Witnesses—
His Statement in His Old Age — Interviewed by the
Kansas City Journal.

As will be shown, David Whitmer, Oliver Cow-
dery, and Martin Harris, wTere the three first certi¬
fiers to the miraculous character and divine au¬
thenticity of the Book of Mormon, and the most
zealous fanatics in bringing it before the world.
Yet, strange to say, every one of them in future
years, and during the prophet’s lifetime, were
either denounced by him or seceded from the sect
of which he was the head.

Mr. Whitmer, after following the fortunes of his
chief into Ohio, and thence to Northwest Missouri,
finally left the sect for good, for reasons which will
herein be shown. He died only a few years since
at Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, at an ad¬
vanced age. A year or two previous to his death
he was interviewed by an attache, of the Kansas
City Journal, on the subject of Mormonism and
his previous connection with it, a lengthy report
of which is published in that paper. It is well

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

written and interesting throughout ; but we can
only make room for a condensed synopsis, quoting
only certain portions entire. Mr. Whitmer’s state¬
ments, made in his serene old age, and many years
after having left the church, are important as to
his admissions regarding the wickedness and evil
designs of the man whom he had so long regarded
as the vicegerent of the Almighty.

Eight other witnesses had followed the three in
certifying to the Booh of Mormon — making eleven
in all — and the Journal introduces Mr. Whitmer
as “the last of the eleven” — all the others, with
Smith and Rigdon, the principals, having preceded
him to their final reckoning.

Mr. Whitmer stated that he was born in Penn¬
sylvania, but at an early age removed with his
father’s family to Western New York. In Palmyra
he became acquainted with Oliver Cowdery, and
there first heard of Mormonism, in 1828. Cowdery
seems to have led all the Whitmers into Mormon¬
ism, and afterwards married into the family.

The manner of the translation of the plates, as
told by Whitmer, is so interesting that it is given
here in his own words.

Said he :

“ He had two small stones of a chocolate color,
nearly egg-shaped and perfectly smooth, but not
transparent, called interpreters, which were given

AS TOLD BY OTHEBS. 27*

him with the plates. He did not use the plates in
the translation, but would hold the interpreters to
his eyes and cover his face with a hat, excluding
all light, and before his eyes would appear what
seemed to be parchment, on which would appear
the characters of the plates in a line at the
top, and immediately below would appear the
translation in English, which Smith would read to
his scribe, who wrote it down exactly as it fell
from his lips. The scribe would then read the
sentence written, and if any mistake had been made
the characters would remain visible to Smith until
corrected, when they faded from sight to be re¬
placed by another line. The translation at my
father’s occupied about one month, that is from
June 1 to July 1, 1829.”

“Were the plates under the immediate control
of Smith all the time ? ”

“No, they were not. I will explain how that
was. When Joseph first received the plates he
translated 116 pages of the book of ‘ Lehi,’ with
Martin Harris as scribe. When this had been
completed, they rested for a time, and Harris
wanted to take the manuscript home with him to
show to his family and friends. To this Joseph
demurred, but finally asked the Lord if Harris
might be allowed to take it. The answer was ‘ No.’
Harris teased Joseph for a long time, and finally
persuaded him to ask the Lord a second time,
pledging himself to be responsible for its safe
keeping. To this second inquiry the Lord told
Joseph Harris might take the manuscript, which
he did, showing it to a great many people, but
through some carelessness allowed it to be stolen
from him. This incurred the Lord’s displeasure,
and he sent an angel to Joseph, demanding the
plates, and until Joseph had thoroughly repented
of his transgressions would not allow him to have

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the use of them again. When Joseph was again
allowed to resume the translation, the plates were
taken care of by a messenger of God, and when
Joseph wanted to see the plates this messenger was
always at hand. The 116 pages of the book of
‘Lehi,’ which were stolen, were never recovered,
nor would the Lord permit Joseph to make a sec¬
ond translation of it.”

Continuing the interview, Mr. Whitmer is asked :

‘ ‘ When did you see the plates ? ”

‘ ‘ It was in the latter part of June, 1829. Joseph,
Oliver Cowdery and myself were together, and the
angel showed them to us. We not only saw the
plates of the Book of Mormon , but he also showed
us the brass plates of the book of Ether and many
others. They were shown to us in this way. Joseph
and Oliver and I were sitting on a log when we
were overshadowed by a light more glorious than
that of the sun. In the midst of this light, but a
few feet from us, appeared a table, upon which
were many golden plates, also the sword of
Laban and the directors. I saw them as plain as
I see you now, and distinctly heard the voice of
the Lord declaiming that the records of the plates
of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift
and the power of God.”

‘ ‘ Who else saw the plates at this time ? ”

“No one. Martin Harris, the other witness,
saw them the same day, and the eight witnesses,
Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Jacob Whitmer,
Joseph Smith, Sr., Peter Whitmer, Jr., Hyram
Smith, Jno. Whitmer, and Samuel II. Smith, saw
them next day.”

“ Did you see the angel?”

“Yes; he stood before us. Our testimony as
recorded in the Book of Mormon is absolutely true,
just as it is written there.”

AS TOLD BY OTHERS.

“ Can you describe the plates?”

“They appeared to be of gold, about six by
nine inches in size, about as thick as parchment, a
great many in number, and bound together like the
leaves of a book by massive rings passing through
the back edges. The engraving upon them was
very plain and of very curious appearance. Smith
made facsimiles of some of the plates, and sent
them by Martin Harris to Professors Anson and
Mitchell, of New York City', for examination. They
pronounced the characters reformed Egyptian, but
were unable to read them.”

As before stated, Mr. Whitmer continued with
his chief and their people in their several attempts
at settlement in Missouri, and it was while there
that the events occurred which separated him from
the leaders. This personal history we prefer to
give in his own words — as illustrating a peculiar
phase of human character :

“In 1835 W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer,
accompanied by a large number of our people, went
to Far West, Caldwell County, and established a
church. They lived there, and multiplied very
rapidly until 1838, when Elders Joseph Smith and
Sidney Higdon came out from Ohio and were dis¬
satisfied with the church, and gave new laws,
revelations, etc. The leaders of the Far West
church refused to conform to the new laws of Smith
and Rigdon, and they issued a decree organizing
what was termed the ‘Danites, or Destroying
Angels,’ who were bound by the most fearful oaths
to obey the commandments of the leaders of the
church. The Danites consisted only of those
selected by Smith and Rigdon. They threatened
myself, John Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Lyman

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Johnson with the vengeance of the Danites unless
we took the same oath, but we refused, and fled
for our lives to Clay County, and since that time
I have had nothing to do with the so-called ‘ Lat¬
ter-Day Saints ’ church, but I still hold to the truth
of the original Church of Christ, as organized in
New York. During the fall of 1838 the church of
Far West became very violent towards the citizens
of Caldwell County, which terminated in an up¬
rising similar to that in Jackson County, and they
were driven from the State. Smith and Bigdon
were arrested and kept prisoners for some time,
but finally escaped and went to Nauvoo, Illinois,
followed by the saints from Far West, and estab¬
lished a church and built a fine temple. They re¬
mained in Nauvoo until 1844, when they became
very corrupt, upheld polygamy, established an en¬
dowment house, etc., which occasioned an uprising
of the people, and Joseph Smith and his brother
Hyrum and John Taylor, the present head of the
church in Salt Lake, were arrested and cast into
prison, and the two Smiths afterwards shot and
killed through the windows of the jail. The tem¬
ple was destroyed and the church scattered, a por¬
tion going to Salt Lake under the leadership of
Brigham Young and John Taylor, where they have
remained ever since, practicing the vile sj’stem of
polygamy and spiritual wifeism.

“ I belong to the original church, organized in
1829, and have never associated myself with any
other, and never upheld the reorganization or
change of name to ‘ Latter-Day Saints,’ at Kill-
land, Ohio.”

The original manuscript of the Booh oj Mormon
is thus referred to by Mr. Whitmer :

(He produced about five hundred pages of manu
script, yellow with age, of large, old-fashioned,

AS TOLD BY OTHERS.

unruled foolscap paper, closely written upon both
sides with ink, and fastened together in sections
with yarn strings. It very plainly showed that it
had been through the hands of the printer, the
‘take ’marks being still upon it.) “ This,” con¬
tinued he, “ was kept by Oliver Cowdery, and
when he came to die he placed them in my care,
charging me to preserve them so long as I lived.
When I die I will leave them to my nephew,
David Whitmer, my namesake. J. F. Smith and
Orson Pratt, of Salt Lake City, were here three
years ago, and offered me a fabulous price for them,
but I would not part with them for all the money
in the universe.”

“Are you not afraid they will be destroyed or
stolen?”

“ No, the Lord will take care of his own. When
this house was destroyed by the cyclone three
years ago to-day (June 1, 1878), nothing in the
room where this manuscript was kept was harmed.
Everything else was completely destroyed.”

It is difficult to see wherein such value is at¬
tached to this relic, when it is remembered that it
is merely the manuscript in Oliver Cowdery’s hand¬
writing, made while the prophet was peeping at
the little stones in his hat, and pretending to
translate from the “Reformed Egyptian.” The
compositor who set up the type for the Book of
Mormon , in the office of the Wayne Sentinel, at
Palmyra, retains the proof-sheets of that grand
work, to which he, also, attaches much value.
They are relics, to be sure ; but relics of a miserable,
wicked, and blasphemous fraud, which should have

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

brought the blush of shame to the faces of all its
originators and abettors.

Since this interview, Mr. Whitmer has died — his
friends say, a full believer in the faith in which he
had so long lived, and cherishing as a precious
jewel the manuscript copy of the Book of Mormon,
left in his hands by his brother-in-law, Oliver
Cowdery. A believer in the story of Mormonism,
he refused, ever since his affront fifty years ago,
to hold any intercourse with its founder.

These statements of Mr. Whitmer are valuable
as showing how easily a man may be deluded into
a belief of supernatural things. Some men’s minds
are so constituted as to accept anything of a mar¬
vellous nature, rather than plain, simple truth.
They are more valuable still, as establishing
the oft-denied charges of the existence of an or¬
ganized “ Danite Band ” — organized for the purpose,
as Mr. Whitmer stated, of working murder and
destruction upon enemies and apostates. No rec¬
ognized leader in the church has heretofore ever
been found, but who would deny the existence of
any such organization for any such purpose. And
yet here is an adherent and believer in the story,
and co-worker through all the earlier years, and
who came near becoming a victim of its author’s
vengeance — who certifies to its truth, and charges
that Smith and Rigdon were the organizers and

AS TOLD BY OTHERS.

directors of the band. Mr. Whitmer also gives
credence to and affirms the charges so long made,
and so persistently denied, of the practice of polyg¬
amy by the prophet and his leaders at Xauvoo.

Was not this aged and venerable man, standing
on the verge of the grave, a valuable witness to
the truth and divine origin of the story ?

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER IV.

as told by others. — Continued.

A Highly Interesting Letter from Hon. S. S. Harding,
Ex-Governor of Utah Territory — His Boyhood Ac¬
quaintance with the Smith Family.

Knowing that ex-Governor Harding, later ar
judge in Indiana, had been in his early life a
resident of Palmyra, N. Y., and acquainted with the
Smith family and the other originators of the Boole
of Mormon, we addressed him on the subject, and
received the following lengthy and interesting reply.

At the date of this letter — February, 1882 — and
several years later, Judge Harding was residing in
Indiana, an octogenarian in age and feeble health,
but with a remarkable memory of the events of his
long and distinguished life. His recollection and
statements concerning the ignorant and superstitious
character of young Smith and his father’s family,
and most of the early adherents of Monnonism, are
strongly corroborative of those made by all the
citizens of Palmyra from 1830 down to the present
time. Human testimony could scarcely be made
stronger or more convincing.

“ Milan, Ind., Feb., 1882.

“ Dear Sir : — Yours of 9th January duly re¬
ceived, and I send you this reply. The incidents

AS TOLD BY OTHEBS. 35

I am about to relate would not be worth repeating
only as illustrative of the wild fanaticism, super¬
stition, and credulity of persons upon whose ve¬
racity mainly depends the authenticity of the Booh
of Mormon. That such a book, replete with self-
evident plagiai'isms and humbuggery, that sink it
below the dignity of criticism, should find tens
of thousands of persons of ordinary intelligence
throughout Christendom, who have accepted it as a
Revelation from God to man, is indeed a moral
phenomenon unparalleled in the nineteenth century.
In view of these things it is not strange that some
daring iconoclast should go forth with his merciless
sledge, breaking in fragments the shrines and idols
that for thousands of years have struck with rever¬
ential awe the hearts of untold millions of men, and
leading captive the human will.

“ In the summer of 1829, I resolved to return to
the place of my nativity, in the vicinity of Palmyra,
N. Y. It was from this place that my father had
emigrated in the spring of 1820, with his large
family, to the newly admitted State of Indiana.
This was before the days of railroads, and I took
stage from Cincinnati for Cleveland, from Cleve¬
land down the lake shore for Buffalo, where I
saw, for the first time, the great canal, only re¬
cently completed. On this I took passage for
Palmyra.

“ In these nine years of transition from boyhood
to manhood, most striking changes had taken place.
My old-time playmates were no longer little boys
and girls, but grown-up men and women ; some of
whom had taken their positions in society as hus¬
bands and wives, fathers and mothers. Others had
gone down to early graves that had

1 Hidden from the living
The full-blown promise of the life that was.’

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ When I left my home in the West, I had never
heard of Mormonism, by that name. When 1 was
a student at Brookville, in the fall of 1827, the
Brookville Enquirer was laid upon my table, when
my eye fell upon a paragraph, credited to some
Eastern paper, of the finding of a book of metallic
plates, called the ‘ Golden Bible.’ It was found
by a young man by the name of Joe Smith, who
had spent liis time for several years in telling for¬
tunes and digging for hidden treasures, and espe¬
cially for pots and iron chests of money, supposed
to have been buried by Captain Kidd. This para¬
graph interested me more at the time from the fact
that all this had happened near the village of Pal¬
myra, X. Y. I had at the time no certain recol¬
lection as to who this ‘ Joe Smith ’ was ; but re¬
membered having seen a long-legged, tow-headed
boy of that name, who was generally fishing in the
mill-pond at Durfee’s grist-mill, on Mud Creek,
when my elder brother and I went to mill. This
boy was about three years older than myself, and
it turned out that he was the veritable finder of the
‘ Golden Bible.’

“ Of course the paragraph in the Enquirer passed
without further notice at the time, and the whole
subject was forgotten, until I found myself in the
very neighborhood where the thing had happened.
At that time the Book of Mormon had not been
printed, and no Mormon church had been organized.
1 do not believe that such a thing as the latter had
ever been seriously contemplated, and that the
publication of the Book of Mormon had for its ob¬
ject only the making of money, by publishing and
putting on sale a book that could be readily sold as
a curiosity at a high profit. Nevertheless, there
was something so unusual in the affair, that it ex¬
cited a good deal of curiosity and comment. The
fact that such a man as Martin Harris should mold-

AS TOLD BY 0T1IEBS.

gage his farm for a large sum, to secure the pub¬
lisher for printing the book, should abandon the
cultivation of one of the best farms in the neigh¬
borhood, and change all his habits of life from in¬
dustry to indolence and general shiftlessness, was
truly phenomenal. He, at the same time, was the
only man among all the primitive Mormons who
was responsible in a pecuniary sense for a single
dollar. Nevertheless, he had become absolutely
infatuated, and believed that an immense fortune
could be made out of the enterprise. The mis¬
fortune that attended Harris from that day did not
consist in the loss of money merely, and the gen¬
eral breaking up of his business as a farmer ; but
the blight and ruin fell upon all his domestic rela¬
tions — causing his separation from his wife and
family forever. In early life he had been brought
up a Quaker, then took to Methodism as more con¬
genial to his nature. He was noted as one who
could quote more Scripture than any man in the
neighborhood ; and as a general thing could give
the chapter and verse where some important pas¬
sage could be found. If one passage more than
another seemed to be in his mind, it was this :
‘ God has chosen the weak things of this world to
confound the wise.’ His eccentricities and idio¬
syncrasies had been charitably passed over by all
who knew him, until his separation from his wife
and family, when he was looked upon as utterly
infatuated and crazy. I had been acquainted with
this man when a little boy, until ray father emi¬
grated from that neighborhood in 1820. He was
intimately acquainted with my father’s family, and
on several occasions had visited our house, in com¬
pany with Mrs. Harris. None in all that neigh¬
borhood were more promising in their future pro
pects than they.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“Upon my return to Palmyra, and learning that
Martin Harris was the only man of any account, as
we say in the West, among all of his near as¬
sociates, it was but natural that I should seek an
early interview with him. I found him at the
printing office of the Wayne Sentinel in Palmyra,
where the Booh of Mormon was being printed.
He had heard several days before of my arrival in
the neighborhood, and expressed great pleasure at
seeing me. A moment or two after, I was intro¬
duced to Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith, Sen.,
and then to the young « Prophet ’ himself.

‘ ‘ Here was a most remarkable quartette of per¬
sons. I soon learned that at least three of them
were in daily attendance at the printing-office,
and that they came and went as regularly as the
rising and setting of the sun. I have the authority
of Martin Harris himself, who stated that some one
hundred and fifty pages, more or less, of the origi¬
nal manuscript of the Booh of Mormon had been
stolen, lost, or destroyed, by some evil-minded
person, and that the angel of the Lord had ap¬
peared to young Joseph and informed him that
the devil had appeared in the form of a man or
woman, and had possessed himself of the sacred
MS. ; and Joseph had been commanded by the
angel to thenceforth always have at least three
witnesses to watch over it when in the hands of
the printers. This was the reason given me at Hie
time by Harris, why at least three persons should
bring the MS. to the office immediately after sun¬
rise, and take it away before sunset in the evening.

“After my introduction to Cowdery and the
Smiths, I entered into conversation with them —
especially with Cowdei-y and the father of the
prophet. But young Joe was hard to be ap¬
proached. He was very taciturn, and sat most of
the time as silent as a Sphynx, seeming to have no

AS TOLD BY OTIIEJRS.

recollection of ever having seen me when fishing in
Durfee’s inill-pond. This young man was by no
means of an- ordinary type. He had hardly ever
been known to laugh in his childhood ; and would
never work or labor like other boys ; and was
noted as never having had a fight or quarrel with
any other person. But notwithstanding this last
redeeming trait, he was hard on birds’ nests, and
in telling what had happened would exaggerate to
such an extent, that it was a common saying in the
neighborhood : ‘ That is as big a lie as young Joe
ever told.’

“ He was about six feet high, what might be
termed long-legged, and with big feet. His hair had
turned from tow-color to light auburn, large eyes
of a bluish gray, a prominent nose, and a mouth
that of itself was a study. His face seemed almost
colorless, and with little or no beard.

“Indeed (in the language of Martin Harris):
‘ What change a few years will make in every¬
thing ! ’ And what a demonstration of this truth
was afforded in the life and career of the man be¬
fore me. At that time his weight was about one
hundred and fifty pounds, he had not a dollar in
the world, and his character was such that credit
was impossible. Let the mind pass over the career
of this man to the date of his marriage with Emma
Hale ; his banking and temple-building at Kirtland ;
his flight as a fugitive from that place to Inde¬
pendence and Far West, Missouri ; his forcible
expulsion from that State to Xauvoo ; the spring¬
ing up of a city of 20,000 people as if by magic ;
and where, beside his divine appointment as
“ Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,” he became Lieut. -
General of a Legion that would make a respectable
standing army, mounted on a blooded charger in
all the military trappings, that filled with awe the
thousands of his followers, and even the outside

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Gentiles. He had now reached the zenith of his
glory ; and fifteen years from the time I met him
at the printing-office, he had become a millionaire,
notwithstanding his harem of numerous spiritual
wives and concubines.

“In the neighborhood of Palmyra there lived
another prophet, older and wiser than the Mormon
prophet. This was old George Crane, who had
been born and brought up a Quaker. On one oc¬
casion Smith and Cowdery had gone to the house
of George, who had manifested some interest in
the pretended translation. It was in the evening,
and when several chapters had been read, Mr.
Crane, who had been an attentive listener, in his
straightforward, Quaker soberness said: ‘Joseph,
thy book is blasphemous ; and I counsel thee to
mend thy ways, or thee will come to some bad
end.’ George Crane lived to see the fulfilment of
that prophecy, when this greatest of all modern
deceivers fell out of the back window of the Car¬
thage jail riddled with bullets.

" I had arrived at the printing-office about nine in
the morning, and after my interview with Harris,
and introduction, as aforesaid, I spent an hour or
two with E. B. Grandin and Pomeroy Tucker,
proprietor and foreman of the Sentinel. From
these gentlemen I learned many particulars that
were new to me. I expressed a desire to read the
manuscript then in process of being printed ; but
was informed by them that that was hardly possible,
inasmuch as a few sheets only at a time were used
as copy in the hands of the printers ; and that
probably Cowdery and Smith would have no ob¬
jection to reading it to me, if I would give them
an opportunity without interfering with their duties
at the office.

“It was now noon, and I went home with my
cousin ^Mr. Tucker) to dinner. On returning to

ylS TOLD BY OTHEBS.

the office, I found Harris, Cowdery, and the Smiths
had remained, substituting a lunch for a regular
dinner. My intimacy with them was reneAved, and
Harris talked incessantly to me on the subject of
dreams, and the fearful omens and signs he had
seen in the heavens. Of course I became greatly
interested, and manifested a desire to hear the
miraculous MS. read ; and it was agreed that I
should go out with them to the house of the elder
Smith, and remain over night. In the mean time,
I remarked that but one at a time left the printing
office, even for a short period.

“ The sun had now got down to the roofs of the
houses, and the typos had laid by their work.
Each page of the MS. that had been used as
copy was delivered to Cowdery, and avc prepared to
return to Smith’s. We arrived at our destination
a few minutes before sunset. The Smith residence
consisted of a log house, not exactly a cabin. Upon
our arrival, I was ushered into the best room in
company with the others. In a few moments I
was left alone, my companions having gone out on
private business. An interview with the family
was being held by them in the other part of the
house. It was not long before they returned, ac¬
companied by Lucy Smith, the prophet’s mother.
She came close to me, and taking me by the hand,
said :

“ ‘ I’ve seed you before. You are the same young
man that had on the nice clothes, that I seed in my
dream. You had on this nice ruffled shirt, with
the same gold breast-pin in it that you have now.
Yes, jest ezactly sich a one as this ! ’ — suiting the
action to the word, taking hold of the ruffle, and
scrutinizing the pin closely. It was not long till
she left the room, and I, following to the door,
saw two stout, bare-footed girls, each with a tin
bucket of red raspberries. Soon after, the old

4li

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

man announced that supper was ready. We went
into the other part of the house, where supper was
waiting, consisting of brown bread, milk, and
abundance of fine raspberries before mentioned.
There was no lack of these, and if any left the table
without a really good supper, it was not the fault
of the hostess. She, good soul — full sister to all her
sex — began to make excuses, saying :

“ ‘ If I had only known what a nice visitor I was
goin’ to have, I would have put on the table flour
bread, and not ryn’ Injun.’

“ I remarked that it needed no excuses ; that the
supper was good enough for a king, and that the
berries on the table were better than could be bought
in any city in America. Beside being true, this had
the effect of quieting the feelings of the old lady.

“ It was now time to begin the reading of the
manuscript, and we retired to the room we had oc¬
cupied. This was before the days of lucifer
matches, and there being no fire, it took some time
before a light could be brought into the room.
This was done by our good hostess, who set upon
the table a tin candlestick with a tallow dip in it,
remarking : ‘ This is the only candle I can find in
the house ; I thought I had two, but mabby the
rats has eat it up.’

Cowdery commenced his task of reading at the
table, the others sitting around. The reading had
proceeded for some time, when the candle began to
spit and splutter, sometimes almost going out, and
flashing up writh a red-blue blaze. Here was a
phenomenon that could not be mistaken. To say
that the blaze had been interrupted by the flax
sliives that remained in the tow wicking, would not
do ; but Martin Hands arrived at a conclusion
* across lots : ’ ‘ Do you see that,’ said he, direct¬
ing his remark to me and the old lady, who sat be¬
side him. ‘I know what that means; it is the

AS TOLD BY OTIIEIIS.

Devil trying to put out the light, so that we can’t
read any more.’ * Yes,’ replied the old lady ;

‘ I seed ’iin ! I seed ’im ! as he tried to put out
the burnin’ wick, when the blaze turned blue.’

“ The tallow dip shortened at such a fearful rate
that the further reading had to be abandoned. It
was now past ten, and the other members of the
family retired. The MS. was carefully put away,
and directions given as to where we were to sleep.
In the mean time Mother Smith loaded a clay pipe
with tobacco, which she ground up in her hands ; a
broom splint was lighted in the candle, and the
delicious fumes issued in clouds from the old lady’s
mouth.

* ‘ She now began to talk incessantly for the little
time that remained, and told me at some length
the dream that she had, when I appeared before
her, ‘ in the nice suit of clothes and ruffled shirt,’
as she expressed it ; and continued : ‘ You’ll have
visions and dreams, mebby, to-night ; but don’t
git skeered; the angel of the Lord will protect
you.’

“ After breakfast, in the morning, Mother Smith
followed me as I arose from the table, and plied me
with questions as to whether I had had dreams,
and whether I had seen a vision that ‘ skeered ’ me.
I told her I had a dream, but so strange that I
could not tell it to her or any one else. The fact
was communicated to Harris and the rest. All
saw that I looked sober, and I determined to leave
them in doubt and wonder.

“We started back to Palmyra, Cowdery bearing
in his hand the sacred scroll. Martin was exceed¬
ingly anxious that I should give him at least some
glimpse of the strange things I had seen in my
dream. I told him that was impossible, and I be¬
gan to doubt whether I ought to tell it to any
human being. They all became interested in my

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

reply; and the prophet himself, forgetting his
taciturnity, said: ‘I can tell you what it was. I
have felt just as you do. Wait, and the angel of
the Lord will open your eyes.’ Here we parted,
and I returned to the home of my brother.”

EX-GO VERNOR HARDING'S LETTER. 45

CHAPTER V.

ex-governor harding’s letter. — Continued.

Curious Developments— Harris’s Frenzy — An Incident in
Indiana — In Utah — Reflections, Suggestions, etc.

“About two weeks after this I met Martin Harris.
He was glad to see me ; inquired how I felt since
my dream. He told me that since he saw me at
Mr. Smith’s, he had seen fearful signs in the
heavens. That he was standing alone one night, and
saw a fiery sword let down out of heaven, and point¬
ing to the east, west, north, and south, then to the
hill of Cumorah, where the plates of Nephi were
found. At another time, he said, as he was passing
with his wagon and horses from town, his horses
suddenly stopped and would not budge an inch.
When he plied them with his whip, they com¬
menced snorting and pawing the earth as they had
never done before. He then commenced smelling
brimstone, and knew the Devil was in the road,
and saw him plainly as he walked up the hill and
disappeared. I said, ‘ What did he look like?’

“ He replied : 4 Stephen, I will give you the best
description that I can. Imagine a greyhound as
big as a horse, without any tail, walking upright
on his hind legs.’ *

“I looked at him with perfect astonishment.
* Now, Stephen,’ continued he, 4 do tell me your
dream.’ I dropped my head and answered : 4 1

am almost afraid to undertake it.’ He encour¬
aged me, and said it was revealed to him that an-

*JVIr. Harris ought to have known that creature could not
have been the Devil, as his majesty most surely has a tail. — T. G.

4G THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

other vessel Avas to be chosen, and that Joseph had
the gift of interpreting dreams the same as Daniel,
who was cast into the lions’ den. I said, ‘ Mr.
Harris, after considering the matter, I conclude
that I ought not to repeat my dream to you, only
on one condition : that you will pledge your honor
not to tell it to any one.’ « Oh, do let me tell it
to Joseph. He can tell all about what it means.’
‘ Well,’ said I, ‘ What I mean is, you may tell it
to whom you please, only you shall not connect my
name Avith it.’ ‘ I’ll do it ! I’ll do it ! ’ said he,
hastily. ‘ Joseph will be able to tell Avho it was,
the same as if I told the name.’”

[Here the narrator proceeded to relate a wonder¬
ful dream that never was dreamed, during the course
of which he took occasion to describe some char¬
acters that had appeared to him on a scroll — pre¬
senting some of them with a pencil, a mixture of
stenographic characters and the Greek alphabet,
rudely imitated. These were handed to Mr.
Harris.]

“ Speechless with amazement, he looked at them
for a moment, and then springing to his feet, and
turning his eyes toward heaven, with uplifted hands,
cried out :

“ ‘ O Lord, God ! the Arery characters that are
upon the plates of Nephi ! ’

“ He looked again at the characters, and then at
me, with perfect astonishment. His excitement was
such that I became positively alarmed, for it seemed
to me that he Avas going crazy. I began to have
some compunctions of conscience for the fraud that
I had practiced upon him ; for I might as well say
just here, as avcII as anywhere, that the dream had
been improvised for the occasion. He suggested
that Ave go to the house of old man Smith and there
relate my dream. I told him that I would never
repeat it again to anybody. lie bade me good-bye,
saying : ‘ You are a chosen vessel of the Lord.’

EX-GOVERNOR HARDING’S LETTER. 47

“ There is but one excuse for my conduct on this
occasion ; that was, to fathom the depth of his
credulity.

“ For the next two or three weeks I did not meet
Harris or any of the Smiths or Cowdery. About
four weeks afterwards I again visited Palmyra, and
spent part of the day in the printing-office, where
I found the prophet, Cowdery, and Harris again.
The latter took me by the hand with a grip and a
shake that were full of meaning ; even the prophet
himself shook hands with me, looking me steadily
in the eye as if new ideas possessed him in regard
to myself ; and it was evident that my dream had
been repeated to these people, and that it was a
puzzle to them all.

“In the meantime the printing of the Book of
Mormon was proceeding. There was abundant
evidence that the proof sheets had been carefully
corrected. The printing was done on a lever press
of that period ; and when a sufficient number of
pages for the entire edition of five thousand copies
had been completed, the type had to be distributed.
This was a slow process in comparison with what
is done in a jobbing office of to-day. Mr. Tucker,
the foreman, had just received from Albany a font
of new type, and had set up with his own hands the
title page of the Book of Mormon, and preparations
were now ready for the first impression. About
this time the prophet’s father also came in. He,
too, had evidently heard of my dream, and shook
my hand most cordially. Mr. Grandin and two
or three typos were present, as if curious in seeing
the first impression of the title page. Tucker took
up the ink-balls and made the form ready ; then
laying the blank sheet upon it, with one pull at the
lever the work was done ; then taking the impres¬
sion, looked at it a moment, passed it to Cowdery,
who scanned it carefully, and passed it to the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

prophet himself, who seemed to be examining every
letter, and without speaking gave it into the hands
of his father and Harris. It was then returned to
Tucker. Of course we all looked at it with more
or less curiosity, and the work was pronounced
excellent. Tucker, who was my cousin, then handed
it to me, saying : ‘ Here, Steve, I’ll give this to
you. You may keep it as a curiosity.’ I thanked
him, and put it carefully in my pocket.

“ It was not long until rumors of the dream had
reached the ears of many persons. Upon hearing
this I felt some concerned, for I did not want to be
mixed up or identified with this thing in the least.
But all of my apprehension soon vanished, when I
found my name had no connection with it, and that
the dream had been a real vision of the prophet
himself l Of course this relieved me of all appre¬
hension, and greatly increased my desire to make
further experiments in this wild fanaticism.

“ My next subject was Calvin Stoddard, a very
clever man, avIio had been a kind of exhorter among
the Methodists. He was a married man, and lived
with his wife in a frame house with unpainted
weather-boarding, that had become loose from age
and exposure to wind and weather. I had met
Mr. Stoddard on several occasions, and his conver¬
sation generally turned on the subject of the new
revelation. He said that we were living in the
latter days spoken of in the Bible, and that wonder¬
ful things would come to pass on the earth ; that
he had seen signs in the heavens that would satisfy
any one that a new dispensation was coming. That
young Joseph had had a dream that was more
wonderful than anything he had ever read in the
book of Daniel, and that if the village of Palmyra
did not repent it would meet the fate of Sodom and
Gomorrah.

“Mr. Tucker, in his book, has referred to the

EX-GOVERNOR HARDING'S LETTER. 49

call that was given to Stoddard on one occasion,
to preach the new gospel. In the main, his state¬
ment is substantially true ; nevertheless, it does
great injustice to the dramatic effect of the call that
was given. Suffice it to say, that Stoddard and
his wife were among the primitive members of the
Mormon Church, and in obedience to the call, con¬
tinued to preach the best that he could to the close
of his life.* Itequiscat in pace.

“ It was now getting about time for me to return
West, and in the month of September, 1829, 1 took
passage on a canal packet for Buffalo. In the mean¬
time marvellous stories were being circulated
throughout the neighborhood, in regard to the
strange dream of the prophet, and the celestial call
of Calvin Stoddard to preach the new gospel. I
had received from Harris and Cowdery the first-
and second chapters of the Booh of Mormon.
These, with the title page before mentioned, were
carefully put away in my trunk. Three or four
days before my embarkation, Martin Harris, in
company with Cowdery, met me at the village,
manifesting a great deal of concern at my intended
departure, informing me that young Joseph had
been having visions. The day was fixed when I
was to leave, and we separated, and the reader
may judge of my astonishment when Harris and
Cowdery came on board the boat at the first lock
below the village, and approached me very much
excited, Martin particularly. He wanted to know
if I was really starting West. I informed him that
I was going directly home to Indiana. He said
that the night before the angel of the Lord had
visited Joseph, and informed him that I was a

* For the particulars of this remarkable conversion, the
reader is referred to the account to be found in another
chapter. Mr. Stoddard was married to one of the prophet’s
sisters, and lived and died in the faith in Illinois. — Editor.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

chosen vessel of the Lord, and they must pursue me
at least as far as Rochester, and inform me of the
commands of the angel, and that I must remain in
Palmyra until the printing of the Book of Mormon
was completed ; after which I must go to the city
of London and there remain until the Lord would
inform me what to do. This, I confess, was a new
phase in this wild fanaticism, and I felt very much
puzzled and confounded. The first I said was :

‘ Where is the money to come from to pay my
passage to London?’ ‘Oh,’ said Martin, ‘ the^
Lord will find the money. The Book of Mormon
will sell for thousands and thousands of dollars,
and I can furnish the money any day, if necessary.’

‘ ‘ I confess that for a time I felt very much con¬
fused. I had bidden all my friends good-bye, and
could not have returned to Palmyra in company with
these men without seriously compromising myself.
And yet, what a temptation was here presented to
me to play the rdle of the hypocrite and villain ! I
had no complications, either of love or business,
and was as free as the winds that sweep over the
prairies. Many times, since Mormonism has be¬
come a most dangerous proselytism throughout all
Christendom, have I asked myself: What if I had
accepted the apple plucked from the tree of knowl¬
edge of good and evil, crucified my own sense of
honor and manhood, and sold myself to the devil
of ambition ! It is hardly probable, notwithstand¬
ing all this, that the Dead Sea fruit would have
turned to ashes on my lips.

“They continued with me until we arrived at
Rochester, where we parted. In the mean time it
seemed as if these messengers sent to intercept me
would hardly take ‘No’ for an answer. Martin,
with great earnestness, dwelt upon the danger of
disobeying the commands of the Lord, and proph¬
esied that I would soon be removed from the earth,

EX-GOVERNOR HARDIN O' S LETTER. 51

and most probably before I reached my destination,
quoting several passages of Scripture fitting my
case. On leaving, they shook me by the hand
most heartily, Martin warning me of the dangers
ahead. The whole scene was worthy of the pro-
foundest study. Here were two men, whose names
will go down through the ages as witnesses to the
divine authenticity of the Boole oj Mormon, whose
superstition and credulity were such as to unseat
all confidence in what are termed miracles ; and
yet, at that time, the evidence of Martin Harris
would have been received in a court of justice
against all of the Smiths, Pages, and Whitmers,
who have published to the world, in the presence of
God, that they had « seen and hefted ’ the mirac¬
ulous plates ! This, it will be remembered, was
before Brigham Young, Heber Kimball, or John
Taylor had ever heard of the new dispensation.

“In 1847, after the expulsion of the Mormons
from Nauvoo, I came home one Saturda}r night
from court, and found a stranger at my house.
This was not remarkable, for it was generally un¬
derstood that my doors had never been shut in the
face of any human being in distress, black or white.
He was a middle-aged man, an Englishman, named
Campbell. He told me that he had come from the
city of Nauvoo, and was going to some place in
Ohio ; had heard of me before he left Nauvoo, and
hoped I would not consider it an intrusion if he
stayed over until Monday morning. He was really
an inoffensive-looking person, and was possessed of
considerable intelligence. He had emigrated from
England a few years before, and was, by trade, a
copper-plate engraver. During his stay in my
house, I informed him that I had the first title page
of the Booh of Mormon, that was ever printed, and
briefly related to him how it came into my posses¬
sion. I produced it, and as he examined the strange

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

relic it was evident that a feeling of awe and ven¬
eration had come over him. ‘ Is it possible ! Is
it possible ! ’ exclaimed he, his eyes still fixed upon
it. ‘ The hand of the Lord is in it.’ He contin¬
ued to examine it with so much fascination, I said :
‘ You take so much interest in this that I will give
it to you.’

“ ‘ Will you let me take it away?’ said he.

“ ‘ Oh, yes, sir, you may keep it as your own,’ I said.

“ ‘ Thank you, sir ! God bless you. The angel
of the Lord must have directed me to this house.’
He said it would add greatly to the value of the
relic, if I would write something over my own
name. I told him I would do so, and wrote the
following :

“ ‘ This is the first title page of the Book of Mor¬
mon that was ever printed. It was printed in the
presence of Joseph Smith, Jr., Joseph Smith, Sr.,
Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and myself, at
the office of the Wayne Sentinel , Palmyra, New
York, August, 1829, — and which was examined and
handled by all the persons above named, and the
same is hereby respectfully presented to the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Stephen
S. Harding, of Milan, Ind.*

“ It will be seen, hereafter, how a little crumb of
bread cast upon the waters will be returned. This
man was evidently as honest and sincere in his be¬
lief as any member of the most orthodox church.
When I went to the territory of Utah as Governor,
in 1862, Mr. Campbell was almost the first one to
meet me. He held a clerkship in Salt Lake City.
He was really glad to see me, and shaking my hand,
said :

“ * Governor, the hand of the Lord is in it. This
is revelation.’ The deep grief that was settled
upon him was unexplained, until he informed me

EX-GOVERNOR HARDING'S LETTER. 53

that his eldest son, a young man of promise, had
been drowned a day before in the river Jordan, and
his body had just been recovered, and was then
lying at his house ; that he and his wife were nearly
overwhelmed with sorrow ; but upon hearing of my
arrival, he had left her in tears and came to pay his
respects to me, and bid me welcome. Poor fellow !
It would have been a hard heart that would not
have gone out in sympathy for him.

“ I soon learned that the first title page had been
well preserved in the Historical Society and Mu¬
seum. It had been placed between two panes of
window glass in a stout frame. By this means it
could be carefully handled and examined without
danger of defacement. It had been examined, by
thousands and thousands ; and after my arrival the
number increased. I looked upon it one day my¬
self, in company with a gentleman from San Fran¬
cisco. I was soon surrounded by a large company
of simple-minded people, who, after my appoint¬
ment as Governor was known, had heard a thou¬
sand times from bishops and elders, that the hand
of the Lord was in it. But, alas ! the faces that I
had known in Palmyra could not be seen. The
prophet had been overtaken by retributive justice.
Hyrum, his brother, had also paid the penalty.
The father and mother had disappeared, and poor
Martin Harris had been expelled, trampled upon,
and insulted by the prophet himself in the zenith
of his power, and was now a wanderer and a vag¬
abond. Cowdery had fired little better. Sidney
Rigdon was exiled. Unseen hands had been turn¬
ing the wheel of fortune. ‘My hand-maiden,
Emma Smith ’ (referred to in the revelation that
cost the prophet his life), was the wife of a Gentile,
and the third Joseph Smith, eldest son of the
prophet, had to appeal to the Governor, asking for
protection, before he dared enter the dominions of

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.'

the new hierarch. The whole thing seemed to me
more like a romance than a reality.

4 4 In your second letter you ask me certain ques¬
tions, which I will now briefly answer. Oliver
Cowdery, the scribe of the prophet, was a young
man of about twenty-four or twenty-five, about the
age of Smith. I had never known him previous to
my return to Palmyra. lie had been a school¬
teacher in country schools, and I am certain had
little or no acquaintance with English grammar at
that time. If this same Oliver Cowdery studied
law and was admitted to practice in Ohio, it must
have been after the time that I met him ; and if he
ever acquired a knowledge of the dead languages,
it was certainly afterwards. I never saw, to my
knowledge, either Sidney Higdon, or Parley P.
Pratt, the latter of whom was shot by Dr. McLane
for proselyting his wife. I knew his brother, Or¬
son Pratt, in Salt Lake City, and also Mrs. Mc¬
Lane, who had been 4 sealed ’ to another man.

“As for 4 Joe Smith,’ the prophet, I have long
been satisfied that his intellectual forces as a man
have been greatly underrated.* In deception and
low cunning he has had no peer. Mahomet was a
much greater man intellectually ; but he never could
have played the part of Joe Smith, the Mormon
Prophet. Ignorant as ho is represented to have
been, still he was familiar with the Scriptures, and
never tired of reading the miracles in the Old Tes¬
tament and in the New. The revelations that he
pretended to have had, were composed and written
by somebody, certainly not Solomon Spaulding.
The most of them evince quite as much talent in
composition as parts of the Manuscript Found.
The question again recurs, Who was the author of
these Revelations? His last one at Nauvoo, in

* Our opinion is that they have been greatly over-rated. —
Editor.

EX-GOVERNOR HARDING'S LETTER. 55

184-, authorizing Polygamy and spiritual mar¬
riages, wherein the Lord commanded the prophet
not to put his property out of his hands, could
hardly have been written by Oliver Cowdery, the
Seneca County lawyer, unless he put into the
mouth of the Lord the language of a country jus¬
tice of the peace. There is another reason, how¬
ever, of much greater significance, that Cowdery
had nothing to do with the revelation, for it was
about that time that he and Martin Harris had
fallen into disgrace in the Church — had been ex¬
communicated, and published in the court journal
of the prophet as * liars ’ and ‘ white niggers.’ *
“That Spalding’s Manuscript Found was the
real foundation of Mormonism, I have no doubt.
When he wrote his romance in Ohio, surrounded
by evidences of a pre-historic race, the sight of
canoes at that time in general use, would furnish
the idea and model of the sharp-pointed ships, ‘ of
the length of a tree,’ constructed at the ship-yards
of the Land Bountiful, mentioned in the Boole of
Mormon. All that he had to do, in the conception
of his model, was to put one canoe on top of an¬
other, bottom-side up, and the idea supplemented
with breathing holes, is almost complete. The
bellows made from the skins of beasts, by boss ship-
carpenters of Bountiful, his kindling a fire by
striking two stones together, and making tools for
the workmen out of crude iron ore, are so inex¬
pressive of poetic imagery, that I agree with you,
it seems improbable that a clergyman who had

* Here the Governor misapprehends our point. We, nor any
one, ever supposed that Spalding had ever had anything to do
with the “Revelations.” Our suggestion was to the efl’ect that
it may have been Cowdery instead of Rigdon, who somehow
obtained the Manuscript Found, and placed it in Smith’s
hands, at the beginning of the Imposture, and that they two
manipulated it into the Book of Mormon, while pretending to
“ translate” and “ transcribe.” — Editor.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

graduated at Dartmouth College had ever been its
author. These portions of the MS. fall below the
dignity of criticism. There are other portions that
might readily be attributed to Mr. Spalding.

“ When I was in Palmyra in 1829, I heard the
particulars of the incident as related by Mr. Tucker,
when the Smith family was out of meat, and the
manner in which the black wether of William Staf¬
ford had been obtained. • But I refer the reader to
the account given in Mr. Tucker’s book. The best
part of the story, however, had been forgotten by
Mr. T. , as illustrative of the cunning of the young
money-digger. When Stafford was told it required
the sacrifice of a black sheep in order to reach the
hidden treasure, it was not plain to him why the
blood of one sheep was not as good as that of an¬
other. His black wether, that had been selected
by young Joe, was large and in excellent condition
for mutton. Stafford hesitated, and was loth to
give him up, offering a white wether of smaller
size, yet in good condition. But the coming prophet
was not to be foiled in his purpose, and i-esorted_to
logic that confounded the objector. ‘ The i*eason
why it must be a blctch sheep,’ said the young de¬
ceiver, ‘ is because I have found the treasure by
means of the blaclc art.’ This, of course, was un¬
answerable, and the black wether was given up.

“ With malice toward none, and charity for all,
I subscribe myself,

“ Respectfully yours,

“ Stephen S. Harding.”

JPH OFESS OH ANTHON'S STOJRY.

CHAPTER VI.

PROFESSOR ANTHON’S STORY.

A Plain Statement Which (Everybody Can Believe.

Smith, it will be remembered, endeavored to gain
credence for his story by falsifying men of science
as to the character of his hieroglyphics and their
translation. See his story as from Professor “ An¬
thony,” in a previous chapter. A few years after
the appearance of the Book of Mormon, and the
publicity of his name in connection with it, Pro¬
fessor Anthon, in reply to inquiries, made the
following statement :

“New York, Feb. 17, 1834.

“Some years ago, a plain, apparently simple-
hearted farmer, called on me with a note from Dr.
Mitchell, of our city, now dead, requesting me to
decipher, if possible, the paper which the farmer
would hand me. Upon examining the paper in
question, I soon came to the conclusion that it was
all a trick — perhaps a hoax. When I asked the
person who brought it, how he obtained the writing,
he gave me the following account : A ‘ golden
book,’ consisting of a number of plates fastened
together by wires of the same material, had been
dug up in the northern part of the State of New
York, and along with it an enormous pair of
‘ spectacles ! ’ These spectacles were so large,
that if any person attempted to look through them.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

liis two eyes would look through one glass only —
the spectacles in question being altogether too large
for the human face. ‘ "Whoever, ’ he said, ‘ ex¬
amined the plates through the glasses, was enabled
not only to read them, but fully to understand their
meaning.’

“All this knowledge, however, was confined to a
young man, who had the trunk containing the book
and spectacles in his sole possession. This young
man was placed behind a curtain, in a garret in a
farm-house, and being thus concealed from a iew,
he put on the spectacles occasionally, or, rather,
looked through one of the glasses, deciphered the
characters in the book, and having committed some
of them to paper, handed copies from behind the
curtain to those who stood outside. Not a word
was said about their being deciphered by the ‘ gift
of God.’ Everything in this way was effected by
the large pair of spectacles. The farmer added
that he had been requested to contribute a sum of
money toward the publication of the ‘ golden
'book,’ the contents of which would, as he was told,
produce an entire change in the world, and save it
from ruin. So urgent had been these solicitations,
that he intended selling his farm and giving the
amount to those who wished to publish the plates.
As a last precautionary step, he had resolved to
come to New York, and obtain the opinion of the
‘ learned ’ about the meaning of the paper which
he had brought with him, and which had been given
him as a part of the contents of the book.

“The paper in question was, in fact, a singular
scroll. It consisted of all kinds of singular char¬
acters, disposed in columns, and had evidently been
prepared by some person who had before him at
the time a book containing various alphabets;
Greek and Hebrew letters, crosses and flourishes,
Roman letters, inverted or placed sideways, were

PROFESSOR ANTIION’S STORY.

arranged and placed in perpendicular columns, and
the whole ended in a rude delineation of a circle,
divided into various compartments, arched with
various strange marks, and evidently copied after
the Mexican calendar, given by Humboldt, but
copied in such a way as not to betray the source
whence it was derived. I am thus particular as to
the contents of the paper, inasmuch as I have fre¬
quently conversed with my friends on the subject
since the Mormon excitement began, and well re¬
member that the paper contained anything else but
‘ Egyptian hieroglyphics.’

“ Yours respectfully,

“Charles Anthon.”

Thus it appears that Martin Harris had told the
Professor a straight story in regard to the matter,
as it had been represented to him ; that the book
of gold plates, held together with rings, had been
dug up in Northern New York ; that they were
being translated by a young man behind a curtain,
through the medium of the Urim and Thummim,
which were generally talked of as spectacles — that
it was designed to publish the translation, and that
he proposed to contribute money for the purpose —
(he already had fifty dollars and the expenses of
this trip in the enterprise.) And no man in his
senses can be made to believe that Professor An-
thon, with the reputation he possessed as a scientist
and man of honor, ever made the reply to Harris
that is ascribed to him in Smith’s narrative.

This letter of Anthon’s was in reply to inquiries

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

made of him by Mr. Howe, and first appeared in
his expose, Mormonism Unveiled. At a sub¬
sequent date, Rev. T. W. Coit addressed a note of
inquiry to Professor Anthon, and received in reply
the substance of the foregoing, to which he added
the following :

“ The matter rested here for a considerable time,
until one day, when I had ceased entirely to think of
the countryman and his paper, he paid me a second
visit. He now brought with him a duodecimo
volume, which he said was a translation into Eng¬
lish of the ‘ Golden Bible.’ He also stated, that,
notwithstanding his original determination, he had
been induced eventually to sell his farm, and apply
the money to the publication of the book, and had
received the golden plates as a security for pay¬
ment. He begged my acceptance of the volume,
assuring me that it would be found extremely in¬
teresting, and that it was already ‘ making a great
noise ’ in the upper part of the State. Suspecting
now, that some serious trick was on foot, and that
my plain-looking visitor might be in fact a very
cunning fellow, I declined his present, and merely
contented myself with a slight examination of the '
volume while he stood by. The more I declined
receiving it, however, the more urgent the man be¬
came in offering the book, until at last I told him
plainly that if lie left the volume, as he said he in¬
tended to do, T should most assuredly throw it
after him as he departed. I then asked him how
he could be so foolish as to sell his farm and en¬
gage in this affair ; and requested him to tell me it
the plates were really of gold. In answer to this
latter inquiry, he said, that he had not seen the

PROFESSOR ANTIION'S STORY.

plates themselves, which were carefully locked up
in a trunk, but that he had the trunk in his pos¬
session. I advised him by all means to open the
trunk and examine its contents, and if the plates
proved to be of gold, which I did not believe at
all, to sell them immediately. His reply -was, that
if he opened the trunk, the ‘ curse of Heaven would
descend upon him and his children. However,’
added he, ‘ I will agree to open it, provided you
will take the ‘ curse of Heaven ’ upon yourself, for
having advised me to the step.’ I told him I was
perfectly willing to do so, and begged him to hasten
home and examine the trunk, for he would find
that he had been cheated. He promised to do as
I recommended, and left me, taking his book with
him! I have never seen him since.

“ Such is a plain statement of all that I know
respecting the Mormons. My impression now is,
that the plain-looking countryman was none other
than the prophet Smith himself, who assumed an
appearance of great simplicity in order to entrap
me, if possible, into some recommendations of his
book. That the prophet aided me, by his inspira¬
tion, in interpreting the volume, is only one of the
many amusing falsehoods which the Mormonites
utter relative to my participation in their doctriues.
Of these doctrines I know nothing whatever, nor
have I heard a single discourse from any one of
their preachers, although I have often felt a strong
curiosity to become an auditor, since my friends
tell me that they frequently name me in their ser¬
mons, and even go so far as to say that I am al¬
luded to in the prophecies of Scripture !

“ If what I have here written shall prove of any
service in opening the eyes of some of their de¬
luded followers to the real designs of those who
profess to be the apostles of Mormonism, it will

62 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

afford me a satisfaction equalled. I have no doubt,
only by that which you yourself will feel on this
subject.

“I remain, very respectfully and truly,
“Your friend,

_ “ Chas. Anthon.

“ Kev. Dr. Coit, New Rochelle, N. Y.”

A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.

CHAPTER VII.

A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.

Two Revelations and Their Causes1— Harris and Satan
Unjustly Accused — The Real Culprit Unknown — A
Happy Ruse Solves toe Difficulty.

And now comes a most curious part of this re¬
markable story. Mr. Harris had become the aman¬
uensis to the prophet while engaged in translating
the plates, and from April to June, 1828, had
Avritten one hundred and sixteen pages of foolscap,
as called out to him by the translator, using the
Urim and Thummim. Such valuable service he
thought was worthy of recognition from a higher
source, so he teased that the instrument might be
put into requisition to inquire of the Lord if he
might not lie permitted to carry the writings home
for exhibition to his wife and friends. Twice the
Lord pointedly refused; but upon his insisting,
leave Avas granted — only on the express condition
that they must be shown to only five persons,
namely : his brother, Preserved Hams, his father
and mother, his wife, and her sister, Mrs. Cobb.
And he was required to enter into a most solemn
covenant to abide by the agreement. He took the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

writings, hut failed to fulfil his covenant (so this
story runs) , and they were taken from him by
stratagem, “ and have never been recovered nor
obtained back again unto this day.”

Here was a difficulty that was likely to prove
disastrous, and perhaps never could have been
overcome had it not been for the ingenuity of the
messenger — and the Lord. Says Smith :

“ I was walking out a little distance when behold
the former heavenly messenger appeared and handed
me the Urim and Thummim again (for it had been
taken from me in consequence of my having wearied
the Lord in asking for the privilege of letting
Martin Harris take the writings, which he had lost
by transgression), and I inquired of the Lord
through them, and obtained the following revela¬
tion.”

This revelation is given here entire, as being the
first deemed by its author worthy of being pre¬
served, among the long series of pretended com¬
munications from the Almighty ; and as furnishing,
together with another on the same subject, also
given in full, indubitable evidence of the falsity and
absurdity, and blasphemous character of his pre¬
tensions. The book of Doctrine and Covenants,
the authentic collection of these revelations, con¬
tains another, for which a prior date is given ; but
it is evidently an after-thought, and was placed
there as an introduction to those that follow.

A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.

Revelation to Joseph Smith, Jr., given July,
1828, concerning certain manuscripts on the first
part of the Book of Mormon, which had been
taken from the possession of Martin Harris.

1. The works, and the designs, and the pur¬
poses of God, cannot be frustrated, neither can
they come to nought, for God doth not walk in
crooked paths ; neither doth he turn to the right
hand nor to the left ; neither doth he vary from
that which he hath said ; therefore his paths are
straight and his course is one eternal round.

2. Remember, remember, that it is not the
work of God that is frustrated, but the work of
men ; for although a man may have many revela¬
tions, and have power to do many mighty works,
yet, if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at
nought the counsels of God, and follows after the
dictates ot his own will, and carnal desires, he
must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God
upon him.

3. Behold, you have been intrusted with these
things, but how strict were your commandments ;
and remember, also, the promises which were made
unto you, if you did not transgress them ; and be¬
hold how oft you have transgressed the command¬
ments and the laws of God, and have gone on in
the persuasions of men ; yet behold, you should
not have feared man more than God, although men
set at nought the counsels of God, and despise his
words, yet you should have been faithful and he
would have extended his arm, and supported you
against all the fiery darts of the adversary, and he
would have been with you in every time of trouble.

4. Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast
chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of
transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall,
but remember God is merciful ; therefore repent of

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

that which thou hast done, which is contrary to the
commandment which I gave you, and thou art still
chosen, and art again called to the work ; except
thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become
a£ other men, and have no more gift.

5. And when thou deliveredst up that which
God had given thee sight and power to translate,
thou deliveredst up that which was sacred, into the
hands of a wicked man, who has set at nought the
counsels of God, and has broken the most sacred
promises, which were made before God, and has
depended upon his own judgment, and boasted
in his own wisdom, and this is the reason that
thou hast lost thy privileges for a season, for thou
hast suffered the counsel of thy director to be
trampled upon from the beginning.

6. Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for
inasmuch as the knowledge of a Saviour has come
unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews,
even so shall the knowledge of a Saviour come unto
my people, and to the Nephites, and the Jacobites,
and the Josephites, and the Zoramites, through the
testimony of their fathers, and this testimony shall
come to the knowledge of the Lamauites, and the
Lemuel ites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in
unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers,
whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their breth¬
ren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and
their abominations ; and for this very purpose are
these plates preserved which contain these records,
that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled,
which he made to his people ; and that the Laman-
ites might come to a knowledge of their fathers,
and that they might know the promises of the Lord,
and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon
the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through
faith on his name, and that through their repent¬
ance they might be saved. Amen.

A- TERRIBLE DILEMMA.

The Urim and Thummim were now taken from
him, but restored in a few days, and the following
revelation was forthcoming, dating ten months after
the other. The long delay will probably be made
apparent in the sequel

Revelation given to Joseph Smith, Jr., May,
1829, informing him of the alteration of the
manuscript of the fore part of the Book of Mor¬
mon.

1. Now, behold, I say unto you, that because
you delivered up those writings which you had
power given unto you to translate, by the means of
the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked
man, you have lost them ; and you also lost your
gift at the same time, and your mind became dark¬
ened ; nevertheless, it is now restored unto you
again, therefore see that you are faithful and con¬
tinue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the
work of translation as you have begun ; do not run
faster or labor more than you have strength and
means provided to enable you to translate ; but be
diligent unto the end ; pray always that you may
come off conqueror ; yea, that you may conquer
Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the
servants of' Satan, that do uphold his work. Be¬
hold, they have sought to destroy you ; yea, even
the man in whom you have trusted, has sought to
destroy you. And for this cause I said he is a
wicked man, for he has sought to take away the
things wherewith you have been entrusted ; and he
has also sought to destroy your gift, and because
you have delivered the writings into his hands, be¬
hold, wicked men have taken them from you ; there¬
fore you have delivered them up, yea, that which
was sacred, unto wickedness. And behold, Satan

68 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

has put it into their hearts to alter the words which
you have'caused to be written, or which you have
translated, which have gone out of your hands ; and
behold, I say unto you, that because they have
altered the words, they read contrary from that
which you translated and caused to be written, and
on this wise the devil has sought to lay a cunning
plan, that he may destroy this work ; for he has
put it into their hearts to do this, that by lying
they may say they have caught you in the words
which you have pretended to translate.

2. Verily I say unto you that I will not suffer
that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this
thing ; for behold he has put it into their hearts to
get thee to tempt the Lord thy God, in asking to
translate it over again ; and then behold they say
and think in their hearts, we will see if God has
given him power to translate, if so he will also give
him power again, or if he translate again, or in
other words, if he bringeth forth the same words,
behold we have the same with us and we have
altered them ; therefore they will not agree, and
we will say that he has lied in his words, and that
he has no gift, and that he has no power ; there¬
fore, we will destroy him, and also the work ; and
we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the
end, and that we may get glory of the world.

3. Verily, verily, I say unto you that Satan
has got hold upon their hearts ; he stirreth them
up to iniquity against that which is good, and their
hearts are corrupt, and full of wickedness" and
abominations, and they love darkness rather than
light, because their deeds are evil ; therefore they
will not ask of me. Satan stirreth them up, that
he may lead their souls to destruction. And thus
he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the
work of God, but I will require this at their hands,
and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation

A TERBIBLE DILEMMA.

in the day of judgment ; yea, he stirreth up their
hearts to anger against this work ; yea, he saith
unto them deceive, and lie in wait to catch, that ye
may destroy ; behold this is no harm, and thus he
flattereth them, and telleth them that it is no sin to
lie, that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may
destroy him, and thus he flattereth them, and leadeth(
them along until he draggeth their souls down to
hell ; and thus he causeth them to catch themselves
in their own snare, and thus he goeth up and down,
to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls
of men.

4. Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto
him that lieth to deceive, because he supposeth
that another lieth to deceive, for such are not ex¬
empt from the justice of God.

5. Now, behold they altered those words be¬
cause Satan saith unto them : He hath deceived you ;
and thus he flattereth them away to do iniquity, to
get thee to tempt the Lord thy God.

6. Behold I say unto you that you shall not
translate again those words which have gone forth
out of your hands ; for behold, they shall not ac¬
complish their evil designs in lying against those
words. For, behold, if you should bring forth the
same words they will say that you have lied ; that
you have pretended to translate, but that you have
contradicted yourself ; and behold, they will pul>-
lish this, and Satan will harden the hearts of the
people to stir them up in anger against you, that
they will not believe my words. Thus Satan
thinketh to overpower your testimony in this gen¬
eration that the work may not come forth in this
generation : but, behold here is wisdom, and be¬
cause I shew unto you wisdom, and give you com¬
mandments concerning these things, what you shall
do, show it not unto the world until you have ac-

•complished the work of translation.

THE PROF HE T OF PALMYRA.

7. Marvel not that I said unto you, here is wis¬
dom, show it not unto the world, for I said show
it not unto the world, that you may be preserved.
Behold I do not say that you shall not show it unto
the righteous ; but as you cannot always judge the
righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked
from the righteous, therefore, I say unto you, hold
your peace, until I shall see fit to make all things
known unto the world concerning the matter.

8. And now, verily I say unto you, that an
account of those things that you have written,
which have gone out of your hands, are engraven
upon the plates of Nephi ; yea, and you remember,
it was said in those writings that a more particular
account was given of those things upon the plates
of Nephi.

9. And, now, because the account which is en¬
graven upon the plates of Nephi, is more particular
concerning these things, which in my wisdom I
would bring to the knowledge of the people in this
account ; therefore you shall translate the engrav¬
ings which are on the plates of Nephi, down even
until you come to the reign of King Benjamin,
or until you come to that which you have translated,
which you have retained ; and you shall publish it
as the record of Nephi, and thus I will confound
those who have altered my words. I will not
sufler that they shall destroy my work ; yea, I will
show unto them that my wisdom is greater than
the cunning of the Devil.

10. Behold they have only got a part or an
abridgment of the account of Nephi. Behold
there are many things engraven on the plates of
Nephi, which do throw greater views upon my
gospel ; therefore it is wisdom in me, that you
should translate this first part of the engravings of
Nephi, and send forth in this work. And behold,
all the remainder of this work does contain all those

A TERRIBLE DILEMMA.

parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea,
anct also my disciples desired in their prayers,
should come forth unto this people. And I said
unto them that it should be granted unto them ac¬
cording to their faith in their prayers ; yea, and
this was their faith, that my gospel which I gave
unto them, that they might preach in their days,
might come unto their brethren, the Lamanites,
and also all that had become Lamanites, because of
their dissentions.

11. Now this is not all, their faith in their
prayers were, that this gospel should be made
known also, if it were possible, that other nations
should possess this land : and thus they did leave
a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that
whosoever should believe in this gospel in this
land might have eternal life, yea, that it might be
free unto all of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue
or people, they may be.

12. And, now, behold according to their faith
in their prayers, will I bring this part of my gospel
to the knowledge of my people. Behold I do not
bring it to destx*oy that which they have received,
but to build it up.

13. And for this cause have I said, if this gen¬
eration harden not their hearts, I will establish my
church among them. Now I do not say this to
destroy my church ; but I say this to build up my
church ; therefore, whosoever belongeth to my
church need not fear, for such shall inherit the
kingdom of heaven, but it is they who do not fear
me, neither keep my commandments, but buildeth
up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and
all those that do wickedly, and buildeth up the
kingdom of the Devil ; yea, verily, verily, I say
unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and
cause to tremble and shake to the centre.

14. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the son of God.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

I came unto my own, and my own received me not.
I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the
darkness comprehendeth it not. I am he who said
other sheep have I which are not of this fold, unto
my disciples, and many there were that understood
me not.

15. And I will show unto this people that I
had other sheep, and that they were a branch of
the house of Jacob : and I will bring to light
their marvellous works, which they did in my
name : yea, and I will also bring to light my gos¬
pel, which was ministered unto them, and behold
they shall not deny that which you have received,
but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light
the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only
doctrine which is in me ; and this I do that I may
establish my gospel, that there may not be so much
contention ; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of
the people to contention, concerning the points of
my doctrine : and in these things they do err, for
they do wrest the Scriptures, and do not under¬
stand them : therefore, I will unfold unto them this
great mystery7, for behold I will gather them as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they
will not harden their hearts ; yea, if they will come,
they may, and partake of the waters of life freely7.

16. Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever
repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my
church, whosoever declareth more or less than this,
the same is not of me, but is against me : therefore
he is not of my church.

17. And now, behold, whosoever is of my
church, and endureth of my church to the end, him
will I establish upon my Rock, and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against them.

18. And now, remember the words of him who
is the life and the light of the world, your Re¬
deemer, your Lord, and yrour God. Amen.

A TERRIBLE DILEMMA. T3

And these two long harangues, abounding in
absurdities, blasphemy, misquoted Scripture, and
bad grammar, are given forth as communications
from the Almighty ! On what pretense and for
what purpose ? This pretender to a divine mission
had produced one hundred and sixteen pages of
what he claimed to be a translation from gold
plates l-evealed to him by an angel from heaven ;
these pages had been entrusted to Martin Harris
and lost, causing a very serious dilemma, as he
had sense enough to perceive that he could not by
“translation” or otherwise, reproduce them. So
these “ revelations” were resorted to as a remedy
for the difficulty.

The real facts were these : Mr. Harris had, in
good faith and honesty of purpose, carried the
manuscript home to exhibit to his wife and four
friends, in accordance with his “solemn covenant” ;
but his more sensible spouse, not being a believer
in such blasphemies, and foreseeing only trouble
and ruin to her husband, abstracted it in his sleep,
and committed it to the flames. For years she
kept the fact a profound secret, even until after
the book was published. But this active hostility
on her part, finally produced a feud in the family
which resulted in separation. — Pomeroy's History.

This last “ revelation,” after ten months’ labor,
is produced, informing the prophet “ of the altera-

THE PEOPllET OF PALMYRA.

tion of the manuscript of the fore part of the Book
of Mormon” and yet no alterations had been made.
Neither the prophet Smith, the heavenly messenger,
nor even the Lord (according to the story) , knew
what had become of the lost pages ; but were falsely
accusing innocent persons of altering and pervert¬
ing them at Satan’s instigation. And not only that,
the whole three are written down as dishonest — the
Lord in instigating a dishonest transaction, and
the others as participators in carrying it out ; using
the Devil’s own weapons to counteract the designs
of his emissaries.

It is difficult to conceive of a more senseless
piece of folly ; and yet it is given forth in all
solemnity, as a cute scheme of the Lord to circum-
vent the cunning of the Devil and his abettors.
And yet those two “ revelations ” are printed in all
editions of the Doctrines and Covenants , and care¬
fully read and quoted by thousands of Mormon ad¬
herents !

STORY AND BOOK EXAMINED.

CHAPTER Yin.

THE STORY AND THE BOOK EXAMINED.

Evidences of Falsity — The Record— Its Title — “ Con¬
founding of Language” — The Nephite-Lamanite
Americans — Metal of the Plates— Plates Remaining
Buried — A Bonanza — Mariner’s Compass— To Work
by Faith.

We have now followed this story as told by its
author, from its inception down to the period of its
development into a systematic and wicked scheme
of imposture. On it the whole structure of Mor-
monism is built. It is the ground-work of a delu¬
sion, which, for fifty years, has been spreading
over the United States and making proselytes in
Europe and Asia, and in the islands of the sea.

It contains within itself many evidences of its
falsity, which, when properly weighed and consid¬
ered, must cause it to be rejected by every intelli¬
gent and well-balanced mind. And when viewed
in connection with surrounding circumstances, and
with the well-known characters and lives of its
author and chief abettors, it becomes simply as¬
tounding that any human being, in the wide range
of humanity, can be found so credulous as to be¬
lieve it. The fact that hundreds and thousands do

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

accept it, and build their hopes of salvation upon
it, without so much as a decent inquiry into its
truth, is a mournful one, in any fair estimate we
may make of human intelligence. And now let us
examine it somewhat in detail.

This investigation naturally divides itself into
three branches, as embraced in the following propo¬
sitions :

1. The Importance of the Message to the World.

2. The Manner of its Communication.

3. The Character and Qualifications of the Agent
employed.

In considering the question of the importance of
the message to the world, we must first discover
what it purports to be. The reader will bear in mind
that the golden plates of the story so miraculously
obtained, were translated by Joseph Smith, Jun¬
ior,* through the medium of the Urim and Thum-
mim, into a book, which is designated as “ The
Book of Mormon” . The folio wing is its title entire :

“Tiie Book of Mormon : An Account Written
by the Hand of Mormon, upon Plates
Taken from the Plates of Nephi.

‘ ‘ Wherefore it is an abridgment of the Record
of the People of Nephi ; and also of the Lamanites ;
written to the Lamanites, which are a remnant of
the House of Israel ; and also Jew and Gentile;

* The father being also named Joseph, the young prophet
was always particular to have tha“ Junior” designation ap¬
pended to his name.

STOEY AND BOOK EXAMINED. 77

written by way of commandment, and also by the
spirit of Prophecy and of Revelation. Written and
sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they
might not be destroyed ; to come forth by the gift
and power of God, unto the interpretation thereof;
sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the
Lord ; to come forth in due time by the way of
Gentile ; the interpretation thereof by the gift of
God ; an abridgment taken from the Book of
Ether.

“Also, which is a Record of the People of Jared,
which were scattered at the time the Lord con¬
founded the language of the people when they were
building a tower to get to Heaven ; which is to shew
unto the remnant of the House of Israel how great
things the Lord hath done for their fathers ; and
that they may know the covenants of the Lord,
that they are not cast oft' forever ; and also to the
convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the
Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto
all Nations. And now if there be fault, it be the
mistake of men ; wherefore condemn not the things
of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judg¬
ment seat of Christ.

“ By Joseph Smith, Junior,
“Author and Proprietor.”

Title, preface, and admonition, all in one.

The foregoing is a verbatim copy from the first-
edition, printed in 1829-30, by E. B. Grandin, as
the title page indicates, “ for the author.” On the
succeeding page is the usual copyright certificate
of “ R. R. Lansing, Clerk- of the Northern District
^of New York,” certifying that, “ on the 11th day
of June, a.d. 1829,” Joseph Smith, Junior, did

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

deposit the title of u book, “ the right whereof he
claims as author ,” and reciting the title page as
above. In subsequent editions the obvious ab¬
surdity of claiming to be the author of a work sent
from Heaven, seems to have been discovered, and
the signature of “Moroni,” the angel, takes the
place of “Joseph Smith”; but whether the sub¬
stitution mends the matter we will not attempt to
decide. It makes the angel an applicant for copy¬
right in a book, which, according to his own state¬
ment, was only partly his own. Still later editions
— especially those issued at Plano, Illinois, for the
“ Reconstructed ” branch of the church — make still
further changes, and slightly “reconstruct” its
phraseology.

The design and purpose of the work, however,
will be hard to discover from the ‘ ‘ confounding of
language ” in its title. But, on examination, we
find it to be a pretended history of the early inhab¬
itants of the American Continent ; that they are
represented to have been the descendants of some
of the people who were dispersed at the Tower of
Babel, and also of some of the tribes of Israel, who
left Jerusalem during the reign of King Zedekiah ;
that one portion managed to reach these shores in
“ eight barges,” “ as tight as a dish and as long as
a tree ” ; that their principal business here was
preaching and fighting, and writing records ; and

STOllY AND BOOK EXAMINED. 79

that after multifarious and terrible wars, they be¬
came, like the Kilkenny cats, sadly used up, and
that the Indian tribes, termed “ Lamanites,” are
the tails that were left.

This, in short, is the Message from Heaven, the
“ fulness of the gospel,” the “ preparatory work,”
that is to usher in “ the millennial reign ” ! This is
the story, of which Orson Pratt, one o'f the ablest
of Mormon writers, says :

‘ ‘ The nature of the message in the Book of
Mormon is such that, if true, none can be saved and
reject it ; and if false, none can be save who re¬
ceive it.

Had the general historical idea been dressed in
good English by one possessed of a well-balanced
mind, instead of one who had

“ eaten of the insane root
■ That takes the reason prisoner,”

it might have made a volume of pleasant reading,
if nothing more ; and had there been any facts
known to the author to give it color, it might even
have approached the dignity of a historical ro¬
mance.

These pretended records are claimed to have been
handsomely engraved on metal plates, by a suc¬
cession of prophets or holy men, belonging to
these descendants of the Jews here in America, at
various periods of their history, from Nephi, in the
reign of Zedekiah, down to Moroni, the last his-

80 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

torian among them, in about the fifth century of
the Christian era. The plates were of various
metals, manufactured by the writers, sometimes of
gold, sometimes of brass, and at others of a metal
not mentioned, hut of ores obtained from the mines.
The brass mines of America are not now known.

Mormon and Moroni made abridgments of all
these records on plates of gold, and buried them in
the hill Cumorah, which stands near Palmyra, in
the State of New York. There they had lain, in a
stone box held together by “ some kind of cement,”
for thirteen centuries, awaiting the advent of some
suitable person to translate them, and give them to
the world for its redemption. And that classical
and consecrated mount is now known as ‘ ‘ Mormon
Hill.” Why do not these people erect a monument,
or build one of their many temples there ?

Mormon and Moroni’s plates — abridgments only
of the great encyclopedia of American histoiy —
were of the precious metal, and they were the only
ones revealed. The others are presumed to be —
if we put faith in the story — if not in the hill
Cumorah, certainly in some “ placer ” in the
vicinity ; and the wonder is that the faithful have
not been “ prospecting ” for them. Should these,
or a considerable portion of them, also be of gold,
their value is great ; as there should be more than
,i dozen of these bundles of plates, besides some other

STOBY AND BOOK EXAMINED.

valuables, “ hid up” somewhere about Palmyra.
Those alone obtained from the stone box, and hid¬
den away again, as described, would make a solid
block of gold of twTo hundred cubic inches, worth
many thousand dollars for the metal alone. The
wonder is, that while excavating for the treasure
hid by Kidd and the pirates, the youthful prophet
did not bring to light more of these precious relics
of antiquity. As evidence of faith in the story,
“Mormon Hill ” should have been thoroughly pros¬
pected long ago.

The nomenclature of the volume is unique, if not
classical, or beautiful, as witness such names as
Riplakish, Shiz, Shule, Kib, Com, Coriantumr,
Gadianton, Zarahemla, Mulek, Giddianhi, Gidgid-
doni, Zemnarihah, Cezoram, beside many others
equally euphonious. According to the Booh of
Mormon, Black Hawk, our Indian chief, was a de¬
scendant of the Lamanites ; hence, probably, his
name , Ma-hci-ta i-m e-she-h ia-hiah .

“ Lo, and behold,” and “ And it came to pass,”
are repeated hundreds of times in the volume, sup-
posably to give the narrative greater solemnity.
Whole chapters are given bodily and verbatim from
the writings of the prophets, in the commonly used
King James version of the Scriptures, but profess¬
edly written by these Jewish- American prophets,
and translated from the “Reformed Egyptian,” by

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Joseph Smith. Strange, indeed, that this Urim
and Thummim translation should so closely follow
the renderings of the scholars of King James’s day.
The term ‘ ‘ Bible ” is put into the mouth of one of
these prophets to designate the sacred writings,
hundreds of years before they were collected and
known by that name.

The mariner’s compass, this story gives us to
know, was in use in the days of Zedekiah ; though
it is inferred that the one used by Lehi was the
first one, and that Nephi, the historian, was the in¬
ventor of it— certainly of this one.* It was pre¬
pared for the occasion, as the party was about to
start on a journey into the wilderness :

“And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord
spake unto my father, by night, and commanded
him, that on the morrow he should take his journey
into the wilderness. And it came to pass, that as
my father arose in the morning, and went forth to
the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld
upon the ground a round ball, of curious workman¬
ship, and it was of fine brass. And within the ball
were two spindles ; and the one pointed the way
whither toe should go into the ivilderness (!)...
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said
unto him, Look upon the ball and behold the things
that are written. . . . And it came to pass that

I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the
ball, and they did work according to the faith and
diligence and heed which we did give unto them. ( ! )

* This we find on further reading to be a mistake. The
name of it was ‘ ‘ Liahona —which is, being interpreted, a com¬
pass ; and the Lord prepared it.”

STORY AND BOOK EXAMINED.

And there was also written upon them a new
writing, which was plain to be read, which did give
us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord ;
and it was written and changed from time to time,
according to the diligence and faith which we gave
unto it. And thus we see that by small means the
Lord can bring about great things.” — Book of
Mormon, 1st edition, pp. 39-41.

Truly a wonderful and accommodating compass !
Working on principles peculiarly its own, one of
its spindles pointed the way for them to go, and
both spindles worked according to the faith and
diligence and heed given them by its users. And
afterwards, when they had built a ship, and gone out
upon the briny and tempestuous ocean, and the tem¬
pests came and the waves ran high, and they were
sorely troubled, “ behold, I took the compass, and it
did work whither I desired it.” Such a compass as
this which the Lord vouchsafed to Nephi, would be
invaluable now in the hands of the searchers for the
North Pole. With it in skilful hands, and the
needed diligence and faith, they could walk right
up to the Pole, and plant the stars and stripes,
without further search. And great is the pity that
the British government could not have supplied
such a valuable instrument to Sir John Franklin,
when he undertook his disastrous voyage ; and it
would have been so serviceable, too, on board the
many vessels that were sent out to find him. In¬
stead of wandering all over the ice-covered seas in

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

their search, it could have led them right up to
where he and his famishing crew were perishing.
Oh, why did not these ancient people think to place
that invaluable compass in the stone box with the
Urim and Thummim and Laban’s sword? or, if
there, why was it not delivered to Joseph by the
messenger? Let us hope that it may yet be found
somewhere about Cumorak hill.

EXAMINATION CONTINUED.

CHAPTER IX.

EXAMINATION CONTINUED.

A Stoky for Ship-builders — A Year’s Voyage— Eight
Wonderful Barges— An Electric Light — The Land
of Promise — War a Pastime — A Great Battle — Words
of Isaiah — Beasts in the ' Promised Land — Remarka¬
ble Translation.

It is Ether, the historian of the Jaredites, who
informs us how the Jared family, after escaping
from the “ confounding of language ” at the Tower
of Babel, finally reached these shores. It was a
remarkable voyage. Navigators, and, indeed, all
who go down to the sea in ships, will be interested
in it, and may gain from it some valuable knowl¬
edge pertaining to their perilous calling. It is
lengthy, and we omit the unimportant portions,
retaining the main facts. Jared and his brethren
had reached the sea, “ and they called the name of
the place Moriancumer,” and there they dwelt in
their tents for the space of four years. But this
was not to be their abiding place. Turn to page
542 of the first edition and read the wonderful
story :

“ And the Lord said, Go to work and build, after
the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did
go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges
after the manner which they had built, according
to the instructions of the Lord. And they were
small, and they were light upon the water, even
like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water ;
and they were built after a manner that they were
exceeding tight, even that they would hold water
like unto a dish ; and the bottom thereof was tight
like unto a dish ; and the sides thereof was tight like
unto a dish ; and the length thereof was the length
of a tree ; and the door thereof, when it was shut,
was tight like unto a dish. And it came to pass
that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, say¬
ing : O, Lord, I have performed the work which
thou hast commanded me, and I have made the
barges according as thou hast directed me. And
behold, O Lord, in them there is no light, whither
shall we steer. — And also we shall perish, for
in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air
which is in them ; therefore, we shall perish. And
the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, Behold,
thou shalt make a hole in the top thereof, and also
in the bottom thereof ; and when thou shalt sutler
for air, thou shalt unstop the hole thereof, and re¬
ceive air. And if it so be that the water come in
upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole thereof,
that ye may not perish in the flood. And it came
to pass that the brother of Jared did so, according
as the Lord had commanded. And he cried again
unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, behold I have done
as thou hast commanded me ; and I have prepared
the vessels for my people, and behold, there is no
light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer
that we shall cross this great water in darkness ?
And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, What
will ye that I should do that ye may have light in
your vessels? 1’or behold, ye cannot have windows,

EXAMINATION CONTINUED.

for they will be dashed in pieces ; neither shall ye
take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light
of fire ; for behold, ye shall be as a whale in the
midst of the sea ; for the mountain waves shall dash
upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again
out of the depths of the sea ; for the winds have gone
forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the
floods have I sent forth. And behold, I prepare
you against these things : for howbeit, ye can¬
not cross this great deep, save I prepare ye
against the waves of the sea, and the winds which
have gone forth, and the floods which shall come.
Therefore, what will ye that I should prepare for
you, that ye may have light, when ye are swallowed
up in the depths of the sea ?

“And it came to pass that the brother of Jared,
(now the number of the vessels which had been
prepared was eight,) went forth unto the mount,
which they called the mount Shelem, because of its
exceeding height, and did moulten out of a rock
sixteen small stones ; and they were white and clear,
even as transparent glass ; and he did cany them
in his hands upon top of the mount, and cried again
unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, thou hast said that
we must be encompassed about by the floods ; . . .
but behold these things which I have moulten out
of the rock. And I know, O Lord, that thou hast
all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the
benefit of man ; therefore touch these stones, O
Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they
may shine forth in darkness ; and they shall shine
forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared,
that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know
that thou art able to shew forth great power, which
looks small unto the understanding of men. And
it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had
said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

his hand and touched the stones, one by one, with
his finger ; and the veil was taken off the eyes of the
brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the
Lord ; .

* ‘ For it came to pass after that the Lord had pre¬
pared the stones which the brother of Jared had
carried up into the mount, the brother of Jared
came down out of the mount, and he did put forth
the stones into the vessels which were prepared,
one in each end thereof ; and behold, they did give
light unto the vessels thereof. And thus the Lord
caused the stones to shine in darkness, to give light
unto men, women and children, that they might
not cross the great waters in darkness.

“And it came to pass that when they had prepared
all manner of food, that thereby they might subsist
upon the water, and also food for their flocks and
herds, and whatsoever beast, or animal, or fowl,
that they should carry with them : And it came to
pass that when they had done all these things, they
got aboard their vessels or barges, and set forth
into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord
their God. And it came to pass that the Lord
caused that there should a furious wind blow upon
the face of the waters, towards the promised land ;
and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the
sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they
were many times buried in the depths of the sea,
because of the mountain waves which broke upon
them, and also the great and terrible tempests which
were caused by the fierceness of the wind :

“And it came to pass that when they were buried
in the deep, there was no water that could hurt
them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and
also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah ;
therefore, when they were encompassed about by
many waters, they did cry unto the Lord, and He
did bring them forth again upon the top of the

EX AMIN A TION CONTINUED.

waters. And it came to pass that the wind did
never cease to blow towards the promised land,
while they were upon the waters : and thus they
were driven forth before the wind ; and they did
sing praises unto the Lord ; yea, the brother of
Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did
thank and praise the Lord all the day long ; and
when the night came, they did not cease to praise
the Lord. And thus they were driven forth ; and
no monster of the sea could break them, neither
whale that could mar them ; and they did have
light continually, whether it was above the water
or under the water. And thus they were driven
forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon
the water, and they did land upon the shore of the
promised land.”

The historian has not informed us how many
persons composed the company in this remarkable
voyage. There must have been several, though,
to properly man each of the vessels. And let us
pause to contemplate these eight wonderfully con¬
structed barges, on their adventurous voyages. All
built alike — light like a fowl, long as a tree, tight
like a dish ; all provided with holes in bottom and
top, and lighted with those transparent stones which
the sagacious brother of Jared “ did moulten ” out
of a rock. All laden, too, with “ whatsoever beast,
or animal, or fowl, that they should carry with
them,” and with “all manner of food” necessary
for a year’s voyage. They start together before a
furious wind, and after nearly a year, land together
without so much as one being lost. No monster of the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

deep hurt them ; no whale marred them ! Some¬
times riding on top of the waves, sometimes en¬
gulfed beneath them, the ever-watchful brother of
Jared is ready in one barge, plug in hand, to stop
and unstop the holes, as occasion may require, to
shut out the water, or to give his crew and passen¬
gers another sniff of air. Who performed that im¬
portant service in the remaining seven barges is not
stated.

These vessels, it will be observed, were provided
with no propelling power, no steering apparatus,
no compass. The instrument used by Nephi and
his father, centuries after, had not yet been invented.
But they did not need any of these things, for a
furious wind blew steadily for the space of a year
directly toward the promised land !

And now that these refugees from the Tower are
safely landed on these shores, let us turn to page
572 of the same book, and learn of some of the deeds
of their descendants here. War seems to have
been the main business and pastime of these people
through all the long centuries of their existence in
their western home. And when they did fight, they
fought to kill. Here is an account of one of the
greatest battles ever fought since the world began,
certainly the most sanguinary ever fought on this
continent. Talk of the wars of Napoleon, of the
Ctesars, of Alexander ; talk of the battle of Water-

EXAMINATION CONTINUED.

loo, of Olmutz, of Sevastopol — they dwindle into
insignificance when contrasted with the struggle
between the two great heroes, Shiz and Coriantumr.
They had already fought till Coriantumr computed a
loss of “ two millions of mighty men, and also their
wives and children.” If Shiz had lost as many, the
total number would not fall short of fifteen to
twenty millions of souls. So they had now become
highly incensed and prepared to go at it in earnest :

‘ ‘ It came to pass that Ether did behold all the
doings of the people ; and he beheld that the people
which were for Coriantumr were gathered together
to the army ot Coriantumr, and the people which
were for Shiz were gathered together to the army
of Sliiz ; wherefore, they were for the space of four
years gathering together the people, that they
might get all which were upon the face of the land,
and that they might receive all the strength which
it were possible that they could receive. And it
came to pass that when they wrere all gathered to¬
gether, every one to the army which he would,
with their wives and their children ; both men,
women, and children being armed with weapons of
war, having shields, and breast-plates, and head-
plates, and being clothed after the manner of war,
they did march forth, one against another, to bat¬
tle ; and they fought all that day, and conquered
not.”

Men, women, and children, all armed and pan-
oplied, going forth to battle ! And it proved to
be a nine da}Ts’ fight ; for “ on the morrow ” they
went at it again, and the next, and the next, to the
sixth day, when, a count being made, it was found

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ they had. all- fallen by the sword, save it were
fifty and two of the people of Coriantumr, and sixty
and nine of the people of Shiz.” Then another
day’s fight and another count. At the end of this
day Shiz had thirty-two left and Coriantumr
twenty-seven. The following day it was fight and
flight ; but “on the morrow,” which was the ninth,
after a fierce and day-long struggle, only the two
gritty commanders were left to face each other.
And they were about as good as dead, for Shiz
fainted with the loss of blood, and Coriantumr was
greatly exhausted. Savage fellows ! they should
now have shaken hands, and given up the contest ;
but no, for

‘ ‘ It came to pass that when Coriantumr had
leaned upon his sword, that he rested a little, he
smote off the head of Shiz. And it came to pass
that after he had smote off the head of Shiz, that
Shiz raised upon his hands and fell ; and after that
he had struggled for breath, he died. And it came
to pass that Coriantumr fell to the earth, and be¬
came as if he had no life.”

And Ether finished his record, and hid it in a
way that the “ people of Limhi did find it ; and it
was buried again, and Joseph Smith, Junior, dug
it up, and with it enlightened and saved the
world ” !

Going back to Lehi and Nephi again : after
they had ended the voyage in which the compass

EXAMINATION CONTINUED.

had rendered them such valuable service, and
brought them to this land of promise, they found
here

“Beasts in the forests of every kind, both the
cow, and the ox, and the ass, and the horse, and
the goat, and the wild goat, and all manner of wild
animals, which were for the use of men.”

It is known that horses were introduced into
America since its discovery by Europeans, and as
to oxen, they are not supposed to he indigenous in
any country l In other parts of the work, sheep
and swine are alluded to as being common here ;
none of which, our historical writers agree, were
here until after the discovery of the country by Co¬
lumbus. ‘ * Cureloms ” and ‘ ‘ cumons ” are also men¬
tioned ; they were probably here, and are not known
to have existed anywhere else, and are now extinct.

But with all its foolishness and glaring absurdi¬
ties, it will not do to say there is no good in this
Booh of Mormon. There is in it a great deal of
good doctrine, and precept, and instruction, and
many sublime thoughts. But all, or nearly so, of
these, are direct and palpable plagiarisms from
the Scriptures and other works. The nonsense is
original ; and the two are combined in such an un¬
skilful way, as to make it, as a whole, a piece of
ridiculous absurdity. Besides numerous detached
texts and phrases from the Bible, several whole

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

chapters are copied. A number of these chapters
are from the Prophet Isaiah. On page 86, first
edition, Nephi is made to say :

“ And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of
Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.”

Then he quotes continuously from the beginning
of chapter second to the end of chapter fourteen,
verbatim from the book of Isaiah. The inquiry nab
urally arises, How could Nephi, here in America,
in the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah, be able
to quote from the writings of Isaiah in Jerusalem?
Ah ! we must not forget : the plates which Lehi’s
sons stole from Jerusalem, after murdering their
owner, Laban, contained these prophecies of Isaiah,
and those they had with them in America. But
another difficulty arises : Laban’s plates were writ¬
ten in Hebrew (or were they in “ Reformed Egyp¬
tian ? ” — no matter) ; in either case is it not queer
that when rendering them into English, they should
happen to coincide, word for word, sentence by
sentence, with the King James translation? Such
a feat in translation was never before performed
since the world began. Three hundred years ago
a number of the learned men of Europe are set to
work to translate the Holy Scriptures, from the
Hebrew, from the Greek, from any language in
which they were to be found ; and they produce the
vei’sion now commonly in use, and known as the

-EXAMINATION CONTINUED. 95

King James version. In 1829-30 Joseph Smith
translates certain of these chapters from what he
calls the Keformed Egyptian tongue, on plates dug
up from the ground in New York, where they had
lain thirteen hundred years, themselves a translation
from the Hebrew, and “ lo and behold,” these trans¬
lations perfectly correspond ! And yet there are
thousands who see in this a strong proof of Joe
Smith’s divine mission !

Many pages might be written, filled with instances
of the senseless, ridiculous, incongruous, and blas¬
phemous character of the work. But the foregoing
are sufficient to show that such a work could never
have been sent as a Message from God to man.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER X.

REVIEW CONTINUED.

Testimony oe Thkee Witnesses — Also of Eight Witnesses
— “ What Moke Need Be Said? ” — Death to Behold the
Plates — A Box of Brickbats— Testimony Analyzed —
Smith’s “ Ipse Dixit ” — Collusion or Deception— Testi¬
mony Invalid— Strang’s Failure — Laban’s Sword and
Lehi’s Directors.

We have now shown this Book of Mormon to
be utterly valueless as a revelation to mankind ; to
be puerile, absurd, inconsistent, false, and blas¬
phemous. It does not contain within its lids one
known historical or scientific fact, one valuable
religious or moral maxim, one elevating or en¬
nobling thought, not to be found elsewhere, pro¬
mulgated long before its framers had existence.

Let us next consider the testimony and the means
and methods by which it is attempted to palm it
upon the world. The fact of its unworthiness alone,
however, ought to be conclusive against it. The
Almighty could not, by extraordinary or any other
means, communicate to mankind an unworthy mes¬
sage.

A story to be believed, must, 1, Be reasonable ;
2, Must agree in its several parts ; 3, Must com-

liE VIEW CONTINUED.

port with well-known facts ; and, 4, Must keep
nothing back. A departure from any of these is
prima facie evidence of its falsity. This story,
told by Smith and those who vouch for hini, is a
departure from all these conditions. His own testi¬
mony has been given in a previous chapter. It is
attempted to be supported by that of eleven witnesses
— three in one certificate, and eight in another.
The three certify as follows :

THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues,
and people, unto whom this work shall come, that
we, through the grace of God, the Father, and our
Lord, Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which con¬
tain this record, which is a record of the people of
Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, his brethren, and
also of the people of Jared, which came from the
tower of which hath been spoken ; and we also know
that they have been translated by the gift and power
of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us ;
wherefore we know of a surety, that the work is
true. And we also testify that we have seen the
engravings which are upon the plates ; and they
have been shown unto us by the power of God and
not of man. And we declare with words of sober¬
ness, that an angel of God came down from heaven,
and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we
beheld and saw the plates and the engravings there¬
on ; and we know that it is by the grace of God,
the Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ, that we be¬
held and bear record that these things are true ;
and it is marvellous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the
voice of the Lord commanded us that we should
bear record of it ; wherefore, to be obedient unto

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the commandments of God, we bear testimony of
these things. And we know that if we are faithful
in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of
all men, and be found spotless before the judgment
seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in
the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one
God. Amen.

Oliver Cowdery,
David Whitmer,
Martin Harris.

(No date.)

The reader will note the names of these three

witnesses. Then follows :

AND ALSO THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues,
and people, unto whom this work shall come, that
Joseph Smith, Jr., the author and proprietor of
this work, has shewn unto us the plates of which
hath been spoken, which have the appearance of
gold ; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith
has translated, we did handle with our hands ; and
we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which
has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious
workmanship. And thus we bear record, with
words of soberness, that the said Smith has shewn
unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of
a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of
which we have spoken. And we give our names
unto the world to witness unto the world that which
we have seen : and we lie not, God bearing witness
of it.

Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page,

Jacob Whitmer, Joseph Smith, Sr.,
Peter Whitmer, Jr., Hyrum Smith,

John Whitmer, Samuel H. Smith.
fNo date.)

MARTIN HARRIS.

OLIVER COWDERY. DAVID WHITMER.

THE THREE WITNESSES.

REVIEW CONTINUED.

‘ ‘ What more need be said ? ” triumphantly ex¬
claims the editor of the Deseret News, after quot¬
ing these testimonials. Much more may be said.
The first inquiry one would be likely to make after
reading them and hearing Smith’s story for the first
time, would be — Why should Smith resort to super¬
natural means to prove the truth of the story, when
ample natural means were at hand? Why should
he call in the angels to convince the world that he
had the plates, when it was only necessary to ex¬
hibit them openly to the people, to convince them?
There were hundreds of people about Palmyra, and
thousands in the near cities and towns, certainly
quite as respectable and truth-loving as these eleven
witnesses, who would have been glad to testify of
the fact, without angels’ aid, had they been allowed
the opportunity. And they would as gladly have
aided with their means, to have the plates properly
translated and published, trusting to the common-
sense of mankind to judge of their value. Yet he
studiously avoided exhibiting them to any one,
learned or unlearned, on the miserable pretence
that it would be death for any one to behold them.
Why did not the eleven fall dead at the terrible
sight, instead of living, to be afterwards denounced
as liars and scoundrels by the prophet, and “given
over to the buffetings of the Devil,” as the chiefest
among them were? Carefully shut in a box and

100

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

covered with a cloth, was his mode of showing
them to his associates. And the story is told about
Palmyra, that two men, by a bold manoeuvre, did
obtain a sight of what was beneath the cloth. They
prevailed upon him to remove the lid of the box,
when one of them, in his impetuosity, and remem¬
bering the death penalty, exclaimed, “Egad, I’ll
see the critter, live or die ! ” and snatching off the
cloth, disclosed — a large brickbat ! And the
sight didn’t kill him, either. The testimony of
these two men should have been added to the other
testimonials. They saw it with their natural eyes,
and their testimony could have been believed.

To analyze the statements of these eleven wit¬
nesses : The first three assert that they (together
apparently) were shown the plates containing the
record ; that they had seen the engravings thereon ;
that this book is a correct translation thereof , and
that it is true. How did they know all this ? By
the grace of God, and because an angel told them
so. How did they know it was the voice of God
and an angel? Because Joseph Smith said so. How
did Joseph Smith know? Because a messenger
from heaven revealed it to him in a vision ; and
because the prophets foretold, in this same record,
that another Joseph should bring it to light, and
that three witnesses should testify thereof! So all
this array of testimony is based on his ipse dixit

BE VIEW CONTINUED

101

alone ; evidently so, also, from statements in his
autobiography, and from more than one of his pre¬
tended revelations, to which we shaft presently
refer. The eight certify that the plates were shown
them, not by an angel, but by Smith himself, and
that they had handled and “ hefted ” them — whether
in a box and covered, they do not say — and further,
that he was “ author and proprietor” of the work.
Those eleven must have been very “knowing”
men.

These certificates are both evidently emanations
from Smith’s own mind — in the same style and
partly in the same language. And one of them is
subsequently altered, long after signature and after
the publication of the book, to make it conform to
the new claim that he was only the “translator,”
and not the “ author and proprietor.”

Who are these eleven witnesses, and had they
any incentives to make these testimonials ? Being
without date, we must guess at the period they
were written, but it was evidently after Smith had
decided to make a book, and intended these testi¬
monials as aids to give it circulation. All of them,
except Harris and Page, belonged to the two
families of Smith and Whitmer — five of the latter
and three of the former — Cowdery’s wife being also
a Whitmer. Nearly all of them had a pecuniary
interest in the success of the venture. Cowdery

102 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

and Harris had each been the amanuensis of the
prophet during the translation, and the elder Whit-
mer had boarded him, and they were his creditors
to that amount. Besides this, Harris had already
given him fifty dollars, and was the capitalist to
foot the printer’s bill of three thousand dollars.
The circumstances strongly suggest collusion, but
it is unimportant whether they signed the papers
knowing their falsity, or did so as the result of a
too implicit reliance on Smith’s word.

Again, is it not a fair presumption that Mrs.
Smith would have seen or known something positive
about those plates, had there been any ? Yet numer¬
ous persons have testified that she always denied
having seen them, and declared that she knew no
more about them than others. She had seen and
handled a box, said by her husband to contain
them ; but had not taken interest enough to look
into it. Can it be possible, under this state of
facts, that Mrs. Emma Hale Smith believed that
box contained golden plates worth thousands of
dollars in value, and carried in living characters a
message from heaven to earth, that was to work
the redemption of mankind ; and that her husband
was a chosen instrument in the hands of God to
effect that redemption? No, it is no stretch of
imagination to believe that Emma Smith went to
her grave believing — not that Joseph Smith was a

BE VIEW CONTINUED.

103

“Prophet, Seer, and Revelator” — but that he was
instead an arrant fraud and imposter.

Mormon writers assert that the testimony of
the eleven witnesses would be strong enough to
substantiate the claim ‘ ‘ in any court of justice on
earth.” So far from this being true, it is just such
testimony as would be thrown out of any court, in
accordance with well established rules of evidence.
Nor do the Mormons themselves always accept such
testimony. James J. Strang, at a later day one of
the faithful, tried a similar game at Vorce, "Wis¬
consin, but failed to obtain any considerable fol¬
lowing. His plates and translation were witnessed
by four persons. Perhaps if he had introduced
angels and fighting devils into his story, and another
Urim and Thummim, and another assassin’s sword,
he might have gained the ears of more of his breth¬
ren. But he introduced only human witnesses and
natural means, and failed. It is the marvellous
and impossible only that can give credence in some
minds.

We have shown that the testimony of these
eleven witnesses was but the ipse dixit of Smith
himself. We will now turn to his book of revela¬
tions, the Doctrine and Covenants , and see what
he says about it. In March, 1829, while this pre¬
tended translation was going forward, or about the
time of its close, and the approach of the day when

104 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the three thousand dollars must be forthcoming,
Martin Harris very naturally became anxious for
further evidence, and was brought to silence and
obedience with the following revelation :

“Behold, I say unto you, that as my servant,
Martin Harris, has desired a witness at my hand,
that you, my servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., have got
the plates of which you have testified and borne
record that you have received of me ; and now, be¬
hold, this shall you say unto him, He who spake
unto you said unto you, I, the Lord, am God, and
have given these things unto you, my servant,
Joseph Smith, Jr., and have commanded you that
you should stand as a witness of these things, and
I have caused you that you should enter into a
covenant with me, that you should not show them
except to those persons to whom I commanded
you, and you have no power over them except
I grant it unto you. And you have a gift to
translate the plates, etc. . . . And that he

shall say unto the people of this generation, be¬
hold, I have seen the things which the Lord has
shown unto Joseph Smith, Jr., and I know of a
surety that they are true, for I have seen them ;
for they have been shown unto me by the power
of God, and not of man.” — Doc. and Cov., pp. 69-
70, Plano edition.

The English of this is, in short, that Smith in¬
forms Harris that the Lord requires him to lie
about having seen the plates, and it appears that
he accepted the message, and did so.

Again, same edition, page 89 ;

REVIEW CONTINUED.

106

“Revelation given to Oliver Coicdery , David
Wliitmer , and Martin Harris, June, 1829,
previous to their viewing the plates containing
the Booh of Mormon.

“ Behold I say unto you, that you must rely upon
my word, which, if you do with full purpose of
heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also
of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim
and Thummim, which were given to the brother of
Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the
Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors
which were given to Lelii while in the wilderness
on the borders of the Red Sea ; and it is hy your
faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by
that faith which was had by the prophets of old.”

And they had faith, for did not Smith tell them
they must have? And they did rely upon the
Lord’s word, for did not Smith tell them it was the
word of the Lord ? And they did view the plates
through faith, for Smith told them the Lord said
that was the way it was to be done ; and after
seeing them through faith, they must testify to
their truth. Certainly; these revelations explain
the testimony of the eleven witnesses. “What
more need be said ? ”

But why did not these three witnesses tell the
whole story? The revelation promised them that
they should see not only the plates, but the breast¬
plate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thum¬
mim, and Lehi’s directors; yet they only tell of
seeing the plates.

106

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

The instruments used by Jared and his brother,
and by Lehi, in crossing the sea, have heretofore
been alluded to in these pages ; but the sword of
Laban has not. This sword, it will be remembered
by readers of the Book of Mormon, belonged to
Laban, a friend of Lehi, who remained at Jerusa¬
lem. After leaving that city and journeying some
time in the wilderness, Lehi bethought him of some
plates that Laban had, containing much genealogi¬
cal and other Jewish history, and he coveted them.
So he sent his sons back to obtain them; but
Laban refused to give them up, and the boys slew
him with his own sword, and stealing the plates
and the sword, made their way back unmolested to
their kind-hearted father. Those stolen plates,
and that sword, with the stain of assassination on its
blade, are a part of the relics which the Lord had
handed down from father to son through many
generations — to be dug out of Cumorah hill, and
testified of by these three witnesses; and they
failed to do it at last 1

FUBTHEB REVELATIONS.

107

CHAPTER XI.

FURTHER REVELATIONS AND LABORS.

The World’s Redemption at Hand — Harris Obstinate,
but Yields — He Sees Money in It — Revelations Con¬
tinue — Church Discipline — Sidney Rigdon’s Hand
Manifest — A New Statement Concerning Him —
Church Organized— Calvin Stoddard’s Conversion —
“Support” for the Prophet— No. 1 Provided for —
The Elect Lady — Rigdon Contorted — Takes High
Rank — Parley P. Pratt — Zion Established— Fanatical
Excesses— Smith and Cowdery Baptized.

We have thus far seen the plates taken from
their long repose in the hill of Cumorah, carried
about in a box by the young prophet, after three
years translated, their authenticity and truthfulness
vouched for, and the copyright of a book obtained ;
and now the work is ready to be issued for the
redemption of the world. But it cost something
in those days, as well as now, to print books ; and
where was the money to come from to pay for the
edition of five thousand copies, deemed necessary
to begin with? None of the Smiths and none of
the Whitmers, with Cowdery and Page to help,
were in a financial condition sufficiently prosperous
to meet the requirement. Martin Harris was the
only camel that was known to be able to carry the

108

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

heavy burden ; but he was not yet quite willing to
kneel down and receive the load. Yet he thought
he could see money in the venture. He was told
that the retail price for the book had been fixed by
divine authority at $1.25 per copy, cheap enough
for so valuable a message, and as everybody would
be keen to purchase, there must be a fortune in the
enterprise. He figured thus: “$1.25X5,000=
$6,250 ; cost $3,000 ; profit $3,250, not taking into
account the large sums to be obtained on future
editions.* Still he hesitated and was rebellious;
and to add to his own misgivings, he had at home
a very heavy weight to hold him back, in the per¬
son of his more cautious wife. But the prophet
was equal to the emergency, and brought forth the
following to counteract the obstinacy of his dupe :

“A Commandment of God, and not of man, to
Martin Harris, given (Manchester, N. Y, , March,
1830) by Him who is eternal.”

It was designed to be impressive, for Martin’s
aid must be secured. After rebuking and threaten¬
ing him severely for his disobedience and wrant of
faith, section three reads as follows :

“3. And again I command thee that thou shalt
not covet thy neigbor’s wife, nor seek thy neigh¬
bor’s life. And again I command thee that thou

* Of the many editions of the Book of Mormon yet pub¬
lished, no one ever heard of Martin Harris or his heirs receiv¬
ing any perquisites. So the venture proved to be not so great
a speculation as he imagined.

FURTHER REVELATIONS.

shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it
freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which
contains the truth and the word of God, which is
my word to the gentiles, that soon it may go to the
Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that
they may believe the gospel, and look not for a
Messiah to come, who has already come.”

He was then asked :

“ Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing
and lifting up thy heart for gladness ? ” <* .

Subsequent events proved that Mr. Harris had
yet some misgivings as to the condition of his heart,
yet he surrendered ; the farm was mortgaged, and
the printing paid for.

About this period several revelations were ob¬
tained, giving directions as to creed, church polity,
and discipline. In these revelations the hand of
Sidney Rigdon is conspicuously manifest, although
Mormon chronology places his advent among them
at some months’ later period. This fact strongly
confirms the belief that Mr. Rigdon was through
the whole a prime actor and mover, behind the
scenes, if not the real instigator. In such case,
these church affairs must have been subsequently
fixed up and ante-dated to suit the occasion.

Mr. Tucker, in his work on Mormonism, men¬
tions a “ mysterious stranger ” who was, on several
occasions, seen about the Smith residence, during
the days that the prophet and Cowdery were en¬
gaged in the translation. Of this we had not, until

110

TILE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

lately, been able to obtain any proof, but now have
positive testimony on the subject. Under date of
January 19, 1885, a gentleman of undoubted char¬
acter for veracity, now resident of a western slate,
but who was in the early days of Mormonism residing
at Palmyra, and well acquainted with the Smith
family, informs us that he saw said Rigdon there at
three different dates : once in the spring of 1827,
once in the fall of the same year, and again in the
summer of 1828 ; that he was told by a member of
the Smith family that it was “ Sidney Rigdon, a
friend of Joseph’s from Pennsylvania.” He also
informs us that Oliver Cowderv came there from
Kirtland, Ohio, in the summer of 1826, and in the
autumn took a school in the district in which the
Smiths lived ; that he came again the next year,
and taking the school, taught about a week, when
he resigned, and went to writing for the prophet.

These statements concerning Rigdon and Cow-
dery throw a flood of light on the early history of
the fraud, and they explain the dilemma which oc¬
curred during the translation and loss of the 116
pages of manuscript by Martin’s disobedience.
Rigdon had to be consulted ; and he was in Ohio,
several hundred miles away. Hence the seven
months’ interruption and delay.

On April 6, 1830, the “ Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints ” was organized, with a mem-

FUR THEE REVELATIONS.

Ill

bership of about thirty persons, says Smith ; and on
that day Smith obtained a revelation investing him
with the titles of f ‘ Seer,” “Translator,” “Prophet,”
“ Apostle of Jesus Christ,” and constituting him also
an ‘ ‘ Elder in the Church . ” And the sixth of April ,
not the first, as it should have been, has been the
holy day of the Saints ever since, among all its
branches ; and on that day annually the great Con¬
ference meetings are held. Among the thirty per¬
sons composing the original church, were all the
Smiths, all the Whitmers, with Cowdery, and Har¬
ris, and Page, and Calvin Stoddard, whose wife was
also a Smith.

A ludicrous account of the conversion of Stod¬
dard is told by Hon. Stephen S. Harding, subse¬
quently a judge in Indiana, and at one time one of
the many Governors of Utah Territory. Mr.
Harding was a wild, fun-loving boy of eighteen
about Palmyra, and knowing Stoddard’s peculiari¬
ties, decided on a bit of sport. So, repairing to
Stoddard’s residence late one night, he awoke the
sleeper by three raps upon the door, and then in a
loud and solemn voice proclaimed :

“ Cal-vin Stod-dard ! Cal-vin Stod-dard ! the
an-gel of the Lord com-mands that be-fore an-o-tlier
go-ing down of the sun, thou shaltgo forth a-mong
the peo-ple and preach the gos-pel of Ne-phi, or
thy wife shall be a wid-ow, thy chil-dren or-phans,
and thy ash-es scat-ter-ed to the four winds of
heav-en,”

112 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

The result was rather more dramatic than the
young scapegrace anticipated. He had no sooner
closed, than he heard Stoddard out on the floor, in
great excitement, promising obedience to the divine
requirement ; and he was out the next morning
among his associates, reporting how, amid the
thunders of heaven, he had had a call to the new
dispensation.* And it is believed that he remained
faithful to the last ; he was with his people at Nau-
voo, and died near that city. To the credit of
young Harding, it may be added, that he afterwards
endeavored to undo the evil he had done, by sug¬
gesting to Mr. Stoddard that it might have been a
trick. But his effort was of no avail ; the delusion
was too strong to be overcome.

In July, 1830, another church or two had been
organized in the neighborhood ; and during that
month Smith announced another revelation that
they should support him, and promising them “ a
cursing instead of a blessing,” if they failed to com¬
ply. “ For thou shalt devote all thy service to
Zion.” It also provided that no debt should be
collected from him, for “ whosoever shall goto law
with thee, shall be cursed by the law.”

“. . . And thou shalt take no purse, nor scrip,
neither staves, neither two coats, for the Church
shall give unto thee in the very hour what thou

Tucker’s History.

FURTHER REVELATIONS.

113

needest for food, and for raiment, and for shoes,
and for money, and for scrip.”

Thus early was Number Oxe provided for.

Another revelation conciliates Emma, the wife,
who still had her doubts ; doubts, which it is be¬
lieved, were never dispelled during her whole life¬
time. It called her the “ Elect Lady,” and prom¬
ised her employment in compiling a book of hymns.
One revelation, September, 1830, states that John
the Baptist is sent to Smith and Cowdeiy to ordain
them. In referring to the autobiography, we find
the following blasphemous statement of that trans¬
action :

“ While we were thus employed [out in the
woods praying] , piling and calling upon the Lord,
a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of
light, and having laid his hands upon us, he or¬
dained us, saying unto us, ‘ Upon you my fellow-
servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the
priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of
the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of re¬
pentance, and of baptism by immersion, for the
remission of sins, and this shall never again be
taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer
again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.’
. . . Accordingly we went and were baptized,

I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me.
• . . No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdeiy,
than the Holy Ghost fell upon him. . . . And

again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also
had the spirit of prophecy, etc. . . . The mes¬

senger who visited us on this occasion, and con¬
ferred this priesthood upon us, said his name was

114

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYBA.

John, the same that is called John the Baptist in
the New Testament, and that he acted under the
direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the
keys of the priesthood of Melchizadeck, etc.” —
Times and Seasons, vol. iii. 866.

There was also a revelation, in September, to
Oliver Cowdery, assigning him to the duty of
preaching the gospel to the Lamanites. The same
revelation announces that Smith shall be appointed to
preside over the Conference about to be held ; but
that the choice is to be made “ by the voice of it.”
Cowdery is supposed to have had some aspirations
for the honor, but is thus forestalled. The revelation
also requires Cowdery to take Hiram Page aside
and tell him that those things which he (Page)
“ hath written from that stone are not of me, and
Satan deceiveth him.” Page had become ambitious
to be a seer also, and had supplied himself with a
white stone for the purpose. Such a thing could
not be permitted under the new dispensation. A
month later another revelation came, commanding
that Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer, Jr., and Ziba
Peterson should accompany Cowdery to the conver¬
sion of the Lamanites.

In obedience to this command, the four accord¬
ingly start to hunt up the Lamanites, those mod¬
ern Jewish- American Indians, to whom this new
gospel is specially sent, but so far has never reached.
It will be remembered that in 1830 there were still

FUBTREB BEVELATIONS. 115

numbers of Indians in their own State of New
York and other near points, yet these missionaries
were deputed to the unsettled regions west of Mis¬
souri, in the then known Indian Territory, a thou¬
sand miles away. On their way, under the guid¬
ance of Cowdery and Pratt, they were providentially
brought to the home of Sidney Higdon, at Mentor,
Ohio. With difficulty they pressed upon him a
copy of the New Revelation, which he very de¬
cidedly, and more truthfully pronounced “a silly
fabrication,” a judgment, the correctness of which,
it is believed, none knew better than he. But in
a few days it converted him, and he became hence¬
forth a noted and talented leader among them,
taking rank always as second in position. Cow¬
dery, the faithful scribe, the voluble Pratt, Harris,
the banker, David Whitmer, and ‘ ‘ brother Hy rum ”
even, all had to stand aside and allow Rigdon the
first place by the prophet’s side. He was probably
the best qualified to maintain that position. He
had a fair education, and was a fluent speaker. He
had been a disciple of Alexander Campbell, the
brilliant founder of the sect then known in that
region as “New Lights,” or “ Campbellites.” There
was a congregation atKirtland composed mostl}r, it
is stated, of dissenters from other churches, and
also from the Campbellites, who, having some no-

116

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tions peculiar to themselves, had formed an inde¬
pendent organization. Of this church Mr. Rigdon
was serving as pastor, when these emissaries to the
Lamanites arrived. Many of these followed Rigdon.

This accession at Kirtland greatly strengthened
the band. Rigdon early repaired to Smith in New
York, and received a revelation promising great
things for him, and that he was to write, while
Joseph was to prophesy. And soon, doubtless
under the inspiration of the new convert, another
revelation came, that they should “ remove to the
Ohio,” where the headquarters of the sect — the
“ Zion ” into which they were all to be gathered —
was to be located, and which was to remain an
everlasting inheritance. Pratt was a resident of
Northern Ohio, and is said to have been on the
canal in New York when he became converted to
Mormonism. He had been a friend and follower
of Rigdon.

While Rigdon was gone to Palmyra, and Cow-
dery and Pratt to the Lamanites on the Mis¬
souri border, these Ohio converts fell into many
fanatical excesses, pretending to work miracles,
heal the sick by laying on of hands, talk in un¬
known tongues, commune with spirits and with the
Saviour, etc. Howe’s Mormonism, Unveiled gives
fi specimen of a written communication claimed by

PARLEY P. PRATT.

FUR THEIt RE VELA TIONS.

117

two of these fanatics to have been obtained from
Jesus Christ, and signed by him thus :

C Be ye always ready, ^

) Be ye always ready, > When I shall call.

( Be ye always ready, )

My Seal:

The command to establish the headquarters at
Kirtland was soon felt in that little village and vicin¬
ity. As fast as they were made, proselytes were re¬
quired to remove thither, and of their substance con¬
tribute to the building up of Zion. In January, 1831,
this first hint of settling in Ohio was given, but in
February and March several revelations followed,
referring to the Zion and its place “ hereafter to
be appointed.”

In January we find two revelations, which, as
specimens of the Lord’s dealings with mankind
(according to the New Dispensation) , are at least
curious and worthy of a place here. James Covill
was a convert in New York. For some reason
not given, he wanted to go back east, a proposition
which Smith did not sanction. After many threat-
enings and promises, James was directed not to go
to the east, “but thou art called to go to the
Ohio.” Covill, however, disobeyed, and did go

118

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

east. The next revelation is to Joseph Smith, Jr.,
and Sidney Higdon, and being short, is copied en¬
tire :

“ Revelation to Joseph Smith , Jr., and Sidney
Higdon, given January, 1831, explaining why
James Covill obeyed not the revelation given
unto him.

“1. Behold, verily I say unto you, that the
heart of my servant, James Covill, was right before
me, for he covenanted with me that he would obey
my word. And he received the word with glad¬
ness, but straightway Satan tempted him ; and the
fear of persecution, and the cares of the world,
caused him to reject the word ; wherefore he broke
my covenant, and it remaineth with me now to do
with him as seemeth me good. Amen.”

And that is the whole of it, amounting to this :
that the Lord, fearing the prophet and his vice¬
gerent might be offended with him for permitting
Covill to act so, deemed it necessary to explain,
showing that it was not his fault, but that Satan
alone was to blame. Whether the explanation was
received as satisfactory, we are left in doubt. These
revelations are numbered sections 39 and 40, Doc¬
trine and Covenants, Plano Edition.

Revelation 41 provides that “ my servant, Joseph
Smith, Jr., shall have a house built in which to
live and translate.” Sidney was left unprovided
for, but “ should live as seemeth him good.”
Many of the revelations of this period are promul¬
gated chiefly for the purpose of binding the faith-

FURTHER REVELATIONS.

119

ful into more complete subjection to the priestly
power of these two men. And the plan was most
wonderfully successful. Thus, daily and contin¬
ually, in less than two years from the organization
of that band, in charming irony miscalled a church,
was being built up that terrible and gigantic des¬
potism, which to-day rules in Utah, and holds in
abject servitude the bodies and souls of more than
a hundred thousand human beings.

One revelation, enumerating the duties of the
brethren toward each other and the Church, pre¬
scribes that ‘ ‘ if thou obtainest more than that
which would be for thy support, thou shalt give it
unto my store-house.” No getting rich allowed ;
no provision for a rainy day, even ; all beyond
what is needed for present support is to go to the
Lord’s store-house. And this is the beginning of
that stupendous tithing system, which, in Kirtland,
in Missouri, in Illinois, and since in LTtah, has
ground from the property and labor of the faithful,
the millions of treasure which have for half a century
been lavished upon unfinished temples, and in
pampering scores of priestly leaders.

A revelation, dated March 7, 1831, looks toward
the building of Zion in Western Missouri, though
the exact location is not specified ; notwithstanding
a former one had located it at Ivirtland, and a

120

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.'

temple was already in process of erection there.
Section 12 says :

“Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said, gather ye
out from the Eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves
together, ye elders of my Church ; go ye forth into
the Western countries, . . . gather up your

riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which
shall hereafter be appointed unto you, and it shall
be called the New Jerusalem, a place of safety, a
city of refuge, for the Saints of the most high God ;
and the glory of the Lord shall be there, inasmuch,
that the wicked will not come into it ; and it shall
be called Zion. And there shall be gathered into
it out of every nation under heaven,” etc., etc.

The projection of every temple — the first in Ohio,
more than one in Missouri, that at Nauvoo, and the
present rising one at Salt Lake — has been preceded
by a revelation commanding it, and making for it
similar promises to the foregoing. The firmest and
most faithful believers in Smith’s divine mission
can scarcely affirm that any one of these prophecies
has ever been fulfilled.

STAKE PLANTING.

121

CHAPTER Xn.

STAKE PLANTING.

Translation of the Scriptures — Reasons for it — Transla¬
tion Suspended — The First Hegira — Cowdery’s Mis¬
sion a Failure — The Stake at Kirtland — Another in
Missouri — Expedition Thither— Ezra Booth’s Seces¬
sion — Zion Located — An Organ Established— The Ex¬
pulsion — A Crusade and Its Termination.

Translation did not cease with the publication
of the Book of Mormon ; for while Sidney was so¬
journing with the prophet in New York, they were
employed in the work of translating the New and
Old Testaments. Although Rigdon is known to
have assisted in this work, Number One always
claimed the honor, and expected the emoluments
thereof. Its title is :

“The Holy Scriptures, Translated and Cor¬
rected by the Spirit of Revelation, by Joseph Smith,
Jr., the Seer.”

The reasons given in the preface for this ‘ ‘ trans¬
lation,” are “ that many plain and precious pails”
have been taken away from the Bible :

“For behold, they have taken away from the
gospel of the Lamb, many parts which are plain
and most precious ; and also many covenants of the
Lord have been taken away ; and all this have they

THE PROPHET OF PALM YEA.

done, that they might pervert the right ways of the
Lord ; that they might blind the eyes and harden
the hearts of the children of men ; wherefore, thou
seest that after the book hath gone forth through
the hands of the great and abominable church, that
there are many plain and precious things taken
away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb
of God ; and after these plain and precious things
were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations
of the Gentiles.” — 1 Book of JYephi, iii. 40 — Book
of Mormon.

We copy from the Plano edition, of 1867, issued
and owned by Joseph Smith, I. L. Rogers, and
Ebenezer Robinson, Publishing Committee of the
Reconstructed Church. The preface states that
“ this work is given to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints, and to the public, in pur¬
suance of the commandment of God ; ” that the
manuscripts, at the prophet’s death in 1844, “ were
left in the hands of bis widow, where they remained
until the spring of 1866,” when they were delivered
to the parties above-named, ‘ ‘ and are now pre¬
sented as they-came into our hands.” This work
is claimed to have been done in fulfilment of a
revelation given to Joseph Smith in June, 1830,
from which the following is an extract. The Lord,
in a long address to Moses, in his day, concludes :

“And now. Moses, my son, I will speak unto
you, concerning this earth upon which you stand ;
and you shall write the things which I shall speak.
And in a day when the children of men shall esteem

STAKE PLANTING.

123

my words as naught, and take many of them from
the book which you shall write, behold I will raise
up another like unto you, and they shall be had
again among the children of men, among even as
many as shall believe.

‘ ‘ These words were spoken unto Moses in the
mount, the name of which shall not be known
among the children of men, and now they are
spoken unto you. Amen.”

And this is the authority for Joseph Smith’s
translation of the Holy Scriptures — translation and
“ correction.” "Wherever the original is wrong, it
is presumed he corrected it. But translated from
what? From the original Hebrew and Greek in
which they were written? No ; but from the plain
English version of King James’s translators which
was common in our prophet’s time, and which any
sensible school-boy could “ translate ” as well. The
fact is, there is no translation about it, but it is a
mere copying, with here and there a change to suit
Rigdon’s notions of theology.

This translation is evidently a suggestion of
Rigdon’s. But on December 30, 1830, a revelation
was announced, suspending the work “until ye
shall go to the Ohio ; ” and after strengthening up the
churches, “ especially in Colesville,” they were to
go to meet Cowdery on his return from the La-
manites.

So, about January 1, 1831, Rigdon returned to
his home, and the prophet soon followed. The saints

124

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

in New York were ordered by revelation to follow,
which they did ; and this date may be regarded as
the first Mormon Hegira. As was to be expected,
Rigdon’s conversion to the new faith caused much
excitement in the community and regret among his
old Campbellite friends ; and much controversy
ensued. Subsequent Mormon publications show
that from a friend he became an implacable enemy,
and that he ever afterwards manifested a vindictive
spirit toward them.

Meanwhile Cowdery and his associates had found
their way to the Missouri border ; but on attempt¬
ing to cross the line of the State into the Indian
Territory, now Kansas, were stopped by Indian
agents, under the law to prevent the whites from
trespassing there. Our missionaries then returned
to Independence, and remained during the winter.
And the Lamanites have been without the gospel
of Nephi unto this day.

Most of the believers in New York and other
places east, had, according to command, followed
or preceded Smith and Rigdon to Kirtland — some
of them to be very much disappointed at the state
of affairs there. The return of one of Cowdery’s
associates, giving a glowing account of the richness
and cheapness of the Missouri lands, gave a new
turn to affairs, and it was determined to plant a
colony there at an early day. Most of the disaf-

STAKE PLANTING.

125

fected, accompanied by influential, faithful ones,
were selected for that purpose. In accordance with
this determination, a revelation was soon forth¬
coming. The power of the prophet over his de¬
luded followers, even at this early day, is strongly
manifested in connection with this revelation. It
is dated June, 1831, and designates the followers
by name, two by two, who are to take that jour¬
ney of a thousand miles, which many of them would
be compelled to, and did, travel on foot. We give
the order of their names, as stated in Plano edition,
page 167 :

“ Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sidney Kigdon, Lyman
Wight and John Corrill, John Murdock and Hyrum
Smith, Thomas B. Marsh and Ezra Thayre, Isaac
Morley and Ezra Booth, Edward Partridge and
Martin Harris (these last two were to go with
Joseph and Sidney), David Whitmer and Harvey
Whitlock, Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt, Solo¬
mon Hancock and Simeon Carter, Edson Fuller
and Jacob Scott, Levi Hancock and Zebedee Col-
trin, Keynolds Cahoon and Samuel H. Smith,
Wheeler Baldwin and William Carter, Newell
Knight and Selah J. Griffin.”

Two others were sent eastward, in all thirty men
— which must have included about one-third of the
whole number of the male recruits. They were
commanded to go by different routes, and to preach
as they went, depending upon the people on the
way for food and shelter. How many of these

126 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

ever reached their destination is not known ; though
it is believed most of them did. Many were after¬
wards actors in the Missouri and Illinois troubles,
and some have figured since conspicuously in Utah.

Ezra Booth, one of the above-named, had for¬
merly been a minister in the Methodist Church.
He was one of the number to take his staff in hand
and travel all the way to Missouri on foot, such
was his new-found zeal ; and having been a preacher
before, he stopped and preached a number of times
in the four States through which he passed. This
labor somewhat tempered his zeal, however; and
he afterwards confessed that he could not preach
with the same “freedom” he had done before.
Soon after reaching his journey’s end, his eyes
were opened to see the falsity and folly of the
whole thing, and he left them ; apostalized, thus
subjecting himself, along with Cowdery, Whitmer,
Harris, and others, soon afterwards, to the “ buf-
fetings of the Devil for a thousand years.”

Mr. Booth’s account of his experiences in Mis¬
souri, and particularly of the tedious trip thither,
is interesting, and was published in a Northern
Ohio paper. We find it also in Howe’s expose.
Great things had been promised them when they
should reach the border-land, among others that
they would find a flourishing church there. They

STAKE PLANTING.

127

did find the church, says Mr. Booth, consisting of
four women !

This determination to maintain two Zions — one
in Kirtland and the other somewhere on the border,
in proximity to the Lamanites, did not take definite
shape until after the arrival of the leaders of the
expedition. Travelling in carnages, and being
well equipped for the journey, these leaders ar¬
rived on the border and met at Independence in
July. So well pleased were they with the prospect
and the appearance of the country, that a revela¬
tion, dated in Zion, in July (section 57, Plano
edition), was obtained at once, declaring:

“ Hearken, O ye elders of my Church, saith the
Lord your God, who have assembled yourselves
together, according to my commandments, in this
land which is the land of Missouri, which is the
land which I have appointed and consecrated for
the gathering of the saints : wherefore this is the
land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.
And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will re¬
ceive wisdom, here is wisdom. Behold the place
which is now called Independence, is the center
place, and the spot for the temple is lying west¬
ward upon a lot which is not far from the court¬
house ; wherefore it is wisdom that the land should
be purchased by the Saints ; and also every tract
lying westward, even unto the line running directly
between Jew and Gentile. And also every tract
bordering by the prairies, inasmuch as my disciples
are enabled to buy lands. Behold this is wisdom,
they may obtain it for an everlasting in¬
heritance. ’

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

The “everlasting” of this revelation proved to
be of very short duration. Early in August the
temple lot was dedicated, the first Missouri con¬
ference was held, and soon afterwards the two
leaders returned to Ohio.

While in Missouri, it was decided to establish an
organ at that place, and W. W. Phelps, who had
been previously designated by revelation, was in¬
stalled as editor, assisted by Oliver Cowdery. Ac¬
cordingly the publication of The Morning and
Evening Star was begun. Mr. Phelps was an
enthusiast and something of a “ crank ” ; a fair
writer, but unstable and unreliable in his conduct,
and at times caused considerable trouble among the
brethren. He went with the sect to Illinois, and
afterwards to Salt Lake, where he died, aged
eighty years, in 1872.

Before leaving Independence for Kirtland, the
prophet and his co-laborer obtained a revelation
for the guidance of the brethren in their absence.
If any reader of these pages has believed that the
despotism of to-day in Utah transcends that exer¬
cised by these two leaders in Missouri, in this sec¬
ond year of Mormonism, avc refer him to this
revelation, given August, 1831, and some others
which follow.

This division of the force into two Zions a thou¬
sand miles apart, proved to be a source of trouble

STAKE PLANTING.

129

to the leaders. They could not be present at each,
to guide and hold in check the followers whose am¬
bition led them to be unruly. Martin Harris,
whose money had insured the printing of the Book
of Mormon, chafed under the indignities that were
constantly heaped upon him ; Oliver Cowdery and
David Whitmer, the two other members of the trio
of testifiers to the divine origin of the Book of
Mormon, left without official superiors in Missouri,
also transgressed in some way the behests of the
prophet, and were anathematized. The same fate
befel several others. Some of these subsequently
relented and returned. Harris is believed to have
been one of the latter, and to have died in the faith.
Cowdery removed to Tiffin, Ohio, and settled in
the practice of law, and became a prominent Demo¬
cratic politician. He died in Missouri, as is claimed
by Mormon authority, while on his way to Salt
Lake, to again unite his fortune with the sect he
had for so many years deserted. Whitmer was
still living in 1887, near the deserted Missouri
Zion, but occupying in his old age an anomalous
position : that of maintaining the correctness of his
early testimony, while holding himself aloof from
the sect, and characterizing the prophet and his
vicegei'ent as bad men, and organizers of the
“ Danite Band,” or “ Destroying Angels.”

The years 1832, 1833, and 1834, were periods

130

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of great activity, much strife, and some apostasy,
in each of the two Zions, and the two leaders were
kept busy in controlling the discordant elements.
The Stake at Independence grew amazingly ; lands
and town-lots were taken, improved, and built upon.
But there, as everywhere else, before and since,
the presence of these people was obnoxious to their
neighbors, and discontent and quarrels arose, and
finally resulted in open violence. On the 20th of
July, 1833, a mob assembled and destroyed the
office of the Star newspaper, and maltreated its
editor, and others of the brethren. Soon after¬
wards a public meeting of citizens was held, and
an order passed that the Mormons should leave
Jackson County. Governor Dunklin was appealed
to for protection, but he declined to interfere, and
in November a battle took place, and the result
was that the Mormons were compelled to leave,
and the majority of them took refuge in adjoining
counties. Why it is that these people have always
excited hostility against them, in every one of the
five or six communities in which they have at¬
tempted to build their Zion, is a problem the writer
will not stop here to discuss — preferring to state
the facts, and leave the reader to solve the ques¬
tion in his own way.

In due time the Star was revived under the title

STAKE PLANTING.

131

of The Latter-Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate,
but located at Kirtland.

These Jackson County troubles and the expul¬
sion of the brethren, caused great excitement among
them everywhere. At headquarters in Kirtland,
the wild project was entertained to organize an
armed force, raid Jackson County, and compel
the ‘ ‘ Border Ruffians ” to restore the refugees to
their homes and their inheritances. Accordingly
a revelation came, dated February, 1834, com¬
manding Baurak Ale* to organize the brethren
“to go up to Zion by tens, or by twenties, or by
fifties, or by an hundred, until they have obtained
to the number of five hundred of the strength of
my house.” But if they cannot get five hundred,
“ peradventure you may obtain three hundred;”
and if not three hundred, then one hundred — “ but
a commandment I give unto you, that you shall
not go up unto the land of Zion, until you have
obtained one hundred of the strength of my house,
to go up with you unto the land of Zion.”

So, in obedience to command and to promise that
Zion should be restored, on the 7th of May, this
company of armed crusaders, numbering one hun¬
dred and thirty men, set out from Kirtland on this
march of a thousand miles. In about forty days,

* Baurak Ale seems to have been a name substituted for
Joseph Smith, as he commanded the expedition.

132 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

travel they reached Clay County, where some of
their friends had taken refuge, with a force in¬
creased to over two hundred men. A company of
the enemy, advised of their approach, had been col¬
lected, and were in camp ready to meet them. But
Providence interfered to prevent carnage. A violent
storm arose and broke up the camp of the Mis¬
sourians, who retired to their homes ; and a few
days afterwards the cholera broke out in Baurak
Ale’s camp with great virulence, and in a week
near one-third of the number were dead or dying.
And thus terminated the expedition, which set out
at great sacrifice and under high hopes and promises
of divine aid.

And in a short time Joseph and Sidney, with a
portion of their followers, returned to Kirtland.

AM ANTI-BANKING BANK.

t33

CHAPTEK Xin.

AN ANTI-BANKING BANK.

Rigdon President and Smith Cashier — Notes Issued— No
Redemption — Pittsburgh Bankers— Bank Breaks —
Flight of Its Officers — The Kirtland Stake Aban¬
doned.

In 1836 a company was organized at Kirtland,
called the “ Kirtland Safety Society,” the purpose
of which was not well defined. But in January of
the following year a meeting was held, and the old
constitution annulled, and new articles of agreement
entered into. The title of the company was now
changed to “ Kirtland Safety Society .An^-Banking
Company.” Its purpose was stated to be :

“ . for the promotion of our temporal in¬

terests, and for the better management of our differ¬
ent occupations, which consist in agriculture, me¬
chanical arts and merchandising.”

Its officers were a board of thirty-two managers,
a treasurer, and a secretary. The capital stock was
declared to be “not less” than four millions of
dollars, divided into shares of fifty dollars each.
The pay of the managers was fixed at one dollar
per day, while actually employed, and of the other
two officers such sum as the managers should decide.
A dividend was to be declared every six months by

134

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tho treasurer. First instalments were to be paid at
time of subscribing, and future instalments from
time to time, as called by the managers, after thirty
days’ notice ; but all subscribers residing out of the
State were required to pay fifty per cent, of sub¬
scriptions in advance. The following characteristic
notice given by the prophetjs important, as show¬
ing the purpose of the organization :

“ In connexion with the above articles of agree¬
ment, of the Kirtland Safety Society, I beg leave to
make a few remarks to all those who are preparing
themselves, and appointing their wise men, for the
purpose of building up Zion and her Stakes. It is
wisdom, and according to the mind of the llohj
Spirit, that you should call at Kirtland, and re¬
ceive counsel and instruction upon those principles
that are necessary to further the great work of the
Lord, and to establish the children of the Kingdom,
according to the oracles of God, as they are had
among us. And, further, we invite the brethren
from abroad to call on us, and take stock in our
Safety Society. . . .” — Messenger and Advocate.
January, 1837.

Yet tho purposo seems to have been changed two
months later ; for in the March issue of the Advo¬
cate we find tho articles of agreement republished
under the title of “ Kirtland Safety Society Bank¬
ing Company,” with “ managers” changed to “ di¬
rectors,” and “treasurer and secretary” changed to
“ president and cashier.” To these articles are
signed one hundred and eighty-seven names, among
them Smith and Rigdon, the father and mother of

AN ANTI-BANKING BANK.

135

the former and the wife of the latter. The amount
of stock taken does not appear ; hut the “ Kirtland
Safety Society Bank” was established, with Joseph
Smith, Jr., as cashier, and Sidney Bigdon, presi¬
dent, on how safe a basis will appear from what
followed. In the July issue of the Advocate is a
long, twelve-column editorial announcing the dis¬
aster of its failure, and throwing the blame upon
the outside world and the enemies of the Saints.
But the coolest publication, perhaps, ever made by
an officer of a bank, since the world began, is the
following, which we copy from the August number
of the Messenger and Advocate:

“ Caution — To the brethren and friends of the
Church of Latter-Day Saints, I am disposed to say
a word relative to the bills of the Kirtland Safety
Society Bank. I hereby warn them to beware of
speculators, renegades and gamblers, who arc
duping the unsuspecting and the unwary, by palm¬
ing upon them, those bills, which are of no worth,
here. I discountenance and disapprove of any and
all such practices. I know them to be detrimental
to the best interests of Society, as well as to the
principles of religion.

“ Joseph Smith, Jun.”

X)f course, such a bank was bound to fail. But
for a time its handsomely executed notes circulated
freely among the members of the company ; and as
the prophet and his chief counsellor were its execu¬
tive officers, and the bishops, priests, and eb\ex*s in
and about Kirtland were all stockholders, the notes

136 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

gained a considerable circulation abroad, among
converts to tire faith, and to some extent with the
Gentile community. Some thousands of them, in
due course of business, came into possession of
Pittsburgh bankers ; and as these had reason to be
distrustful of the condition of a moneyed institution
run by prophecy, an agent was sent to Kirtland
with a package of these notes for redemption.
Arriving there, he was coolly informed by President
Rigdon that he was an enemy, a wolf in sheep’s
clothing, that the bank redeemed nothing, that the
notes were put out to afford a circulating medium
for the people, and that the Pittsburgh bankers had
not been asked to take them. The agent returned
home a wiser man.

All confidence in the bank being destroyed, much
suffering and loss resulted, chiefly among the
brethren themselves. Many new converts from
abroad, having been called in by the prophet to
“ receive counsel,” had taken stock and paid fifty
per cent, on it, which was sunk. Great excitement
grew out of these transactions. Legal proceedings
were being instituted ; and under cover of darkness,
on the night of January 12, 1838, the prophet and
his chief counsellor, cashier and president of the bank,
left Kirtland in great haste (not for Canada), never
to return, pursued, but not overtaken, by officers,
“ mobocrats,” as they were teraied by the refugees.

AN ANTI-BANKING BANK.

137

If honesty and fair dealing, and redemption of -
notes when presented, are the proper attributes of
legitimate banking, then the title of “Anti-Banking
Bank,” as first given this institution, would seem to
have been a very proper one.

And the “stake” at Kirtland was henceforth
abandoned, never to be resumed during the lifetime
of the prophet. The title to the Temple has since,
however, been acquired by the “ Reconstructed ”
branch of the sect, and still remains in their hands.

138

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XIV.

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING - APOSTASY AND PUNISH¬

MENT.

Odam-Ondi-Ahmon — Far West — And Others — Apostasy
Shows Its Head— Its Punishment — The Danites — War
and Violence — Mobs and Banishment.

The flight of the two leaders from Kirtland was
a disaster to that stake from which it never re¬
covered. It was now determined to locate a new
Zion in Missouri, not in Jackson County, but at a
place called Spring Hill, on Grand River. To this
the followers were called, and, as on other oc¬
casions, they obeyed ; those still located at Kirt¬
land, deserting their unfinished temple, left and
wended their wajr to the border-land. Smith and
Rigdon were there before them ; so was also
Brigham Young — he having left in haste a few days
before his chiefs. Many of the refugees from Jack-
son had settled in Clay County, and had for three
or four years been permitted to occupy the ground
in comparative peace.

This Spring Hill settlement was re-named Odam-
Ondi-Ahmon by revelation ; and here the faithful
began to settle in great numbers. The place was

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING.

in Daviess County, and about twenty miles from
Far West, the county seat of Caldwell. Far West
and considerable of Caldwell were also taken pos¬
session of by them. But trouble was in store for
the chiefs. During their absence at Kirtland, apos¬
tasy had dared to raise its head in more than one
of the border camps ; and to meet and subdue this
insubordination caused them almost as great trouble
as did the “ border ruffian ” element by which they
were surrounded. To meet the case, and to bring
the discontents to subjection, a secret band, first
called the “Daughters of Zion,” then the “De¬
stroying Angels,” and afterwards known as the
“Danite Band,” was instituted. That organiza¬
tion was under the control of Smith and Rigdon,
and was in existence through the remainder of their
sojourn in Missouri, and in Illinois, and has since
been an active agent for Brigham Young in Utah.
The Mormons have always denied the existence of
such a band ; treating the charge as a fabrication
of the enemy. Many writers, and perhaps a large
portion of the reading public, have had doubts
concerning it; but the fact is as susceptible of
proof as any other dependent on human testimony.

We have already quoted in a previous chapter
the statement lately made by the venerable David
Whitmer. What follows is strongly confirmatory
of his story — given at far distant periods and under

140

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

different circumstances. In 1841, after the settle¬
ment at Nauvoo, William Harris, a dissenter, is¬
sued at Warsaw, Illinois, a pamphlet entitled,
Mormonism Portrayed , from which is cut the fol¬
lowing extract :

“ Shortly after this the Danite Society was or¬
ganized, the object of which at first was to drive
the dissenters out of the county. The members of
this society were bound together by an oath and
covenant, with the penalty of death attached to a
breach, to defend the Presidency and each other,
unto death — right or wrong. They had their secret
signs, by which they knew each other, either by
day or night ; and were divided into bands of tens
and fifties, with a captain over each band, and a
general over the whole. After this body was
formed, notice was given to several of the dis¬
senters to leave the county, and they were threat¬
ened severely in case of disobedience. The effect
of this was, that many of the dissenters left —
amongst these were David Whitmer, John Whit-
mer, Hiram Page, and Oliver Cowdery, all wit¬
nesses to the Book of Mormon; also Lyman John¬
son, one of the twelve apostles. The day after
John Whitmer left his bouse in Far West, it was
taken possession of by Sidney Eigdon. About
this time Eigdon preached his famous ‘ Salt Ser¬
mon.’ The text was, ‘ Ye are the salt of the
earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, where¬
with shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for
nothing, but to be cast out, and be trodden under
foot of men.’ He informed the Mormons that the
church was the salt ; that dissenters were the salt
that had lost its savor, and they were literally to
be trodden under the feet of the church, until their
bowels should be gushed out.”

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING. 141

The testimony taken on the trial of Smith and
others for high treason, before the Judge of the
Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of the State of Mis¬
souri, was subsequently published by order of the
United States Senate. In it we find the testimony
of Dr. Sampson Avard, who claimed to be an officer
and influential member of the Danite band. Sworn
and examined for the State, he said :

“That about four months since, a band, called
the Daughters of Zion (since called the Danite
Band) was formed of the* members of the Mormon
church, the original object of which was to drive
from the County of Caldwell all those who dissented
from the Mormon church ; in which they succeeded
admirably, and to the satisfaction of those con¬
cerned. I consider Joseph Smith, Jr., as the
prime mover and organizer of this Danite band.
The officers of the band, according to their grades,
were brought before him at a school-house, to¬
gether with Hyrum Smith and Sidney Higdon ; the
three composing the first presidency of the whole
church. Joseph Smith, Jr., blessed them, and
prophesied over them : declaring that they should
be the means, in the hands of God, of bringing forth
the millennial kingdom. It was stated by Joseph
Smith, Jr., that it was necessary this band should
be bound together by a covenant, and those who
revealed the secrets of the society should be put to
death. The covenant taken by all the Danite band
was as follows, to wit : They declared, holding up
their right hands, ‘ In the name of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, I do solemnly obligate myself ever
to conceal, and never to reveal, the secret purposes
of this society, called the Daughters of Zion.
Should I ever do the same, I hold my life as the

142

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

forfeiture.’ The prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., to¬
gether with his two counsellors (Hyrum Smith and
Sidney Eigdon), were considered the supreme head
of the church ; and the Danite band feel themselves
as much bound to obey them, as to obey the Su¬
preme God.”

This witness further states that in June, 1838,
Sidney Eigdon drew up a paper addressed to these
five dissenters, warning them to leave the county
in three days, and threatening them with swift
punishment if they disobeyed. It charged them
with all manner of meanness, calling them con-
sorters with counterfeiters, thieves, liars, and
black-legs ; with trying to cheat the Saints out of
their property, and, greatest of all, with disobe¬
dience. This document was signed by eighty-four
members. The warned knew what such threats
meant, and, as Whitmer says, they “ fled for their
lives to Clay County.”

W. W. Phelps also testified to the existence of
this Danite band and its purposes.

The existence of such an organization is also
testified to by John Hyde, a seceder at Salt Lake
City. Hyde was for a long time an active and
talented elder of the church in Missouri, in Illinois,
and in Utah ; but apostatizing, wrote a work on
Mormonism. In his book, Mormonism, Its Lead¬
ers and Designs, he states that in Missouri in 1838,
“ a death society” was formed, under the direction

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING.

143

of Sidney Rigdon ; that its first captain was known
as “Captain Fearnauglit ” (David Patten, one of
the twelve apostles), and that its purpose was “to
punish the obnoxious.”

They were at some trouble to find a suitable
name for such an association. “Zion” being a
term ever foremost in their thoughts, “ Daughers
of Zion ” presented itself — Micah, iv. 13 :

“ Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion : for I
will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs
brass ; and thou shalt beat in pieces many people ;
and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and
their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.”

This was appropriate except as to sex, and the
society began its work under that name. It was
soon dropped, and another resort to the Bible
made; when, “ lo, and behold,” “and it came to
pass,” Genesis xlix. 17, supplied a title quite as
significant, and more to their liking :

“ Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder
in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels, so that
his rider shall fall backward.”

Elder Hyde continues :

“ ‘ The sons of Dan ’ was the style they adopted,
and many have been the times that they have been
adders in the path , and many a man has fallen

BACKWARD, AND HAS BEEN SEEN NO MORE ! ”

Can that be true? Much other testimony, and
scores of corroborating circumstances, render the
conclusion irresistible. But notwithstanding the

144

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

direct charges and the circumstantial evidences,
many still refused to believe ; and perhaps to-day
it is the conviction of great numbers of people,
that the story is only the idle invention of enemies
and persecutors. It is hard to believe that those
apostatizing Mormons would so long uphold and
sustain a system so monstrous, until the day of
their withdrawal, and then loudly denounce it —
knowing that they were thus proclaiming their own
dishonor.

Brigham Young, more daring than the rest, in
one of his characteristic harangues, quoted in the
Deseret News, vol. vii., page 143 (as given by
Hyde) , said :

“If men come here and do not behave them¬
selves, they will not only find the Danites, whom
they talk so much about, biting the horse’s heels,
but the scoundrels will find something biting their
heels. In my plain remarks, I merely call things
by their own names.”

Much more might be quoted from Brigham
Young and many others, to prove the existence of
this band of cut-throats, and for the purposes
named, and to show that it was instituted by the
heads of the church and controlled by them, but
the foregoing is sufficient.

But we cannot linger over these constantly re¬
curring dissensions in Missouri. Ever arrogantly
claiming to be the Saints of God, entitled to pos-

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING.

145

sess the land, and crying out against “persecu¬
tion,” these leaders and their band of missionaries
made converts everywhere they attempted to plant
a stake ; at the same time making enemies of the
great majority of unbelievers. In addition to this,
they had numbers of agents abroad, through the
States and in Europe, preaching the doctrines of
the New Dispensation to the discontented, the
hopeful, and the fanatical, and bidding them flee to
Zion and enjoy its benefits and partake of its glories.
They planted stakes or proclaimed a Zion succes¬
sively in Jackson County, in Clay, in Caldwell, in
Ray, in Daviess, in Carroll — all with the same re¬
sult. The power of the State was frequently ap¬
pealed to for protection or aid by one party or the
other; until at length, Governor Lilburn W.
Boggs, unable or unwilling to cope with the diffi¬
culty, issued an order expelling them from the State.

In the early part of the autumn of 1838, the last
disturbance occurred, which resulted in the arrest
and imprisonment of the two leaders and several of
their principal adherents, and the extermination of
most of the remainder. These made their way
across the State to Illinois, in very inclement
weather, and with much privation and suffering.
Rigdon was set at liberty by Habeas Corpus,* and

* It will be seen hereafter, that these writs of Habeas
Corpus played a conspicuous part in Mormon affairs in Illinois.

146

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

after some months’ confinement, Smith made his
escape, it was said, by the connivance of the sheriff
who had him in charge, the authorities probably
deeming this the easiest way of disposing of a
troublesome case.

That Governor Boggs’s order of banishment was
illegal and contrary to the spirit of our institutions —
as are all such, whether emanating from executives
courts, or mobs — cannot be controverted. Mr.
William Harris adds, and with this extract we take
leave of the Mormon difficulties in Northern Mis¬
souri :

“ Of this Missouri war, as it has been called, a
great deal has been said, and public opinion at the
time generally censured the conduct of Missouri.
That the Missourians carried the matter too far,
and treated the Mormons with an unnecessary
degree of cruelty, in many instances, there can be
no doubt ; but that there was great cause of aggra¬
vation, there can be just as little. The truth is,
that while the Mormon body, as a church, interferes
with the pecuniary and political acts of its mem¬
bers — assuming the sole direction of both — it will
be impossible for them to live in peace in any com¬
munity. The necessary consequence of their re¬
garding the words of Smith as the words of the
Lord, is, that he can unite them whenever it may
be necessary to effect his purposes. This, prob¬
ably, would produce no jealousy, if his acts were
confined to ecclesiastical government ; but when
they extend to controlling the political and pecun¬
iary interests of his followers, it must inevitably
produce distrust and enmity. Such a community,

FURTHER STAKE PLANTING.

147

thus united, hold the rights of the neighboring
citizens in their own hands ; and in every contest
they must come off victors. They have a capacity
for secrecy, which enables them to commit any act
of depredation, without the fear of detection ; and
when a crime has been committed by one of them,
th*ey are so united to each others’ interests, as to
render it almost impossible, through a legal for¬
mula, to obtain a conviction. Is it any wonder,
then, that a body thus controlled, their interests
confined within themselves and inimical in nature
to that of the other citizens, should excite jealousy?
And when we consider the materials of which the
church is made ; the amount of ignorance, bigotry,
and arrogance, that is displayed bjr its members ;
is it at all surprising that an explosion should take
place between them and those by whom they are
surrounded? Now, even admitting that the Mor¬
mons were honest, yet, taking all things into con¬
sideration, the Missourians acted in the commence¬
ment of the difficulties, as would almost any com¬
munity in the country. I do not justify their
mobs ; on the contrary, I say that a mol) is in no
case justifiable ; but I do say, that as society is
now constituted, mobs will arise, under certain
circumstances, in any community. Let, then, those
who have regarded the Missourians as a set of un¬
principled desperadoes, because of their conduct
toward the Mormons, bethink them that the same
scenes, under the same circumstances, would, in
all probability, have been enacted in their own
neighborhoods. It was not the mere religion of
the Mormons that exasperated the Missourians ; it
was their arrogance, their united purpose to pro¬
tect each other, and to infringe on the rights of
other citizens ; their thefts and their concealments
of each others’ crimes ; these were all, under the
circumstances, injuries without legal remedies ; and

148 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

although this does not justify a mob, yet there are
few communities in this country, that would not,
if placed in the same situation, have been exas¬
perated to violence.”

ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD, m

CHAPTER XV.

ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD.

Exodus from Missouri and First Appearance in Illinois
—The Situation.

One of the chief purposes of this work is to give
an accurate and faithful history of Monnonism, as
it existed during a period of about eight years in
the State of Illinois. Such a history, the writer
believes, has never been written. Governor Ford,
in his History of Illinois, devotes considerable
space to this era, embracing the time he occupied
the executive chair. But his excellency, like the
Governor of Missouri, found the Mormon problem
too hard a one to handle ; and his work must be
regarded as more a defense of his administration
during the Mormon era, than an impartial history.

The writer approaches this part of his task with
more confidence, from the fact that before and dur¬
ing the Mormon sojourn, he was a citizen of the
State, and intimately acquainted with many of the
events as they transpired.

Early in their career, claiming more than common
sanctity, and in order to be more specially distin¬
guished from the outside world, these people took
upon themselves the title of ‘ ‘ Latter-Day Saints ” ;

150

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA .

and thereafter, in their estimation, there were hut
two classes of people : Saints and Gentiles. Those
who accepted the Booh of Mormon as of Divine
origin, and regarded Joseph Smith with the rever¬
ence due to a “ Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,” were
counted under the former title ; while all who re¬
jected the Booh of Mormon, or were ignorant of its
existence, whether Hebrew or Pagan, Christian,
Brahman, or Mussulman, were Gentiles.

When the scattered bands of these Latter-Day
Saints first crossed the Mississippi from Missouri
into Illinois, in the winter of 1838-9, they were
poor and disheartened, and very many of them
were objects of charity. Without money or suit¬
able means of conveyance, poorly clad, and many
of them sick or infirm, they had been compelled, in
the dead of winter, to leave their habitations in the
northwest portion of the State, and make their way
two hundred miles, to ask for shelter in a com¬
munity of strangers. Their troubles there, and this
violent expulsion, had brought them into notice.
Their stereotyped cry of ‘ ‘ Persecution for Opin¬
ion’s Sake,” invented years before by their saga¬
cious leaders, and ever since their best paying
capital, was generally believed by the Illinois peo¬
ple ; and when they crossed over the Mississippi at
Quincy, they received the sympathies of the entire
population. Public meetings were held ; resolu-

ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD. 151

tions denunciatory of the “ border ruffians ” passed ;
money, clothing, and provisions were voted and
donated, and such other material aid granted as
their circumstances seemed to require. The citizens
of Quincy did themselves honor in their treatment
of these refugees. And afterwards, when they began
to pass along up into Hancock County, adjoining,
the same kindness and consideration were shown
them. Their prophet, with several of his chief
advisers, were still under arrest and in durance at
Liberty, Mo., and most of their principal men were
-scattered abroad ; some back at Kirtland, others
refugees from mob wrath in different directions,
and still others absent as missionaries to the Gen¬
tile world.

Such was the condition of the Mormon people,
when they first became known to the people of
Hancock County and adjoining communities in the
State of Illinois.

At the period mentioned, the whole northwestern
portion of the State of Illinois was new and but
sparsely settled. The extensive prairie region lying
between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, had
been but recently laid off into counties, and organ¬
ized into working communities. Here and there,
in every county, county seats and other towns and
villages were springing up, and the woody margins
of the broad prairies were fast filling up with an

152

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

enterprising, intelligent, and generous people, from
many of the older States of the Union ; people of
all shades of religious opinion ; people whose hab¬
itations were mostly log cabins and other woocten
structures, but whose doors were ever open to the
voice of the stranger. For want of church edifices,
as in all new settlements, these different sects fre¬
quently occupied the same building, or worshipped
in the open woods, without bickerings or strife ;
and it is safe to say, that no communities in any
part of the country, were less afflicted with religious
bigotry or intolerance, than were those in North¬
western Illinois.

The point selected by the Mormons on which to
locate their new Zion, is certainly one of the most
beautiful and salubrious in the west. It lies at the
head of the Lower, or Des Moines Rapids in the
Mississippi, in a beautiful curve of the stream, and
overlooking the broad river, its islands, and the
Iowa bluffs and prairies be}rond. Opposite to it,
and embracing a third of Lee County, Iowa, and
extending about twenty miles along the river, and
back to the Des Moines, from its mouth northward,
lies what was then known as the “ Half-Breed In¬
dian Reservation.” These lands had recently be*
come objects of speculation and litigation, growing
out of the ill-advised action of the general gov»
ernment regarding them. It had been the intentiou

ACE OSS THE MISSISSIPPI EASTWAED. 153

of the prophet to locate on the west side of the
river, on these lands, having been invited thereto
by Dr. Isaac Galland, who held some interest in
the titles. He had called Smith’s attention to
them, while the latter was still in jail at Liberty ;
and it was this correspondence, perhaps, that turned
the tide of Mormon emigration to Hancock County.
But after the chiefs arrival among his followers,
later, the project of settling in Iowa was abandoned,
and it was decided to plant the new stake where
Nauvoo now stands, in Illinois.

At that point there was then a little village lo¬
cated on the shore, called Commerce, containing
perhaps a half-dozen houses, a store, and a post-
office. It was one of the oldest settled portions of
the county. Just below was the farm of Hugh
White, and just east, on the bluff, was that of Dan¬
iel H. Wells, later the noted Adjutant-General of
Utah fame. These farms, with much other land,
were soon encroached upon and absorbed by the
growing city, whereupon Wells joined the church,
became rich by the sale of his lands, was ever an
active and violent partisan, and finally left with
them for the wilderness. In Utah he has ever since
stood high in authority, and is believed to be still
living in the enjoyment of his honors, his fortune —
and his wives ! — the legal wife refusing to accompany

154 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

him because he would not agree to forego the
pleasures of the harem in the new home.

Opposite Commerce, in the then Territory of
Iowa, stood the barracks of Fort Des Moines, but
just vacated by the United States Dragoons, and
at the time occupied by a few settlers. Here, also,
was located the office of the “ New York Half-
Breed Land Company.” Twelve miles below, at
the foot of the rapids, and also on the Half-Breed
lands, lay the village of Keokuk, named from a
stately Indian chief of the Sac and Fox tribes, who
frequented its environs with his dusky followers.
Fort Madison, twelve miles up the river, had
achieved the dignity of a county seat, and could
count two or three hundred souls.

In Hancock County (Illinois), eighteen miles
below Commerce, lay Warsaw, with a population
of about three hundred ; Carthage, the county seat,
in the centre of the county, and on a broad prairie,
had not so many; Augusta, St. Mary’s, Plymouth,
Fountain Green, La Harpe, Chili, and a few other
villages, had been laid out (chiefly in 1836), and
containing each a few families, were located in the
midst of young and fast-growing settlements. There
was no newspaper at any of these points, the near¬
est being at Quincy and at Rushville, the county
seats of Adams and Schuyler Counties, adjoining.

ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD. 165'

Thc population of the county was about five thou¬
sand, located mainly in the border townships.

Quincy, where the refugees had first reached the
State, was fifty miles down the river from Com¬
merce. It was a thriving town of fifteen to
eighteen hundred inhabitants, with two newspapers
and a United States land office. It was also the
residence of Hon. Thomas Carlin, Governor of the
State, of Judge Richard M. Young, of the Fifth
Judicial District, and of several of the most prom¬
inent lawyers.

We have been thus particular in describing the
condition of the people and county, and location of
its most important places, in order that the reader
may have a better comprehension of the events to
he narrated in the chapters to follow — events which
brought trouble and disturbance where peace had
reigned, and finally stained the rich soil of the
prairies with the blood of the prophet and his
brother and many of its other citizens.

156

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XVI.

IMMIGKATION AND SETTLEMENT.

Status in Illinois — The New City — Mission to Washing¬
ton — Governor Lucas’s Letter — Great Church Con¬
ference-Mission to the Jews in Europe and Asia —
Call to the Faithful.

Such was the status of Hancock County (Illi¬
nois), and its people and neighborhood, when this
Mormon immigration began in their midst. The
rank and file continued to stream into Quincy, as a
crossing place, from their late homes in Missoux-i,
and thence into the near communities, during the
whole spring of 1839; and as they arrived, 'they
were received with open arms by the inhabitants.
And as the spring and summer of that year passed,
many of them made homes wherever there was an
empty house in the city, or log cabin in the country,
on farm or in village, fit to receive a family. They
were thus soon located at different points all over
Hancock, and to some extent through the adjoin¬
ing counties of Pike, Schuyler, McDonough, Hen¬
derson, and Warren. Their heaviest settlements
in Hancock, after Nauvoo, were at La Harpe, Plym¬
outh, Macedonia, Green Plains, and Montebello.

IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT. 157

Active proselytism was immediately commenced
in all the neighborhoods about home, and numer¬
ous missionaries were sent abroad to preach. Again
the call, or more properly the command, was issued
for the faithful to repair to Nauvoo, to aid in build¬
ing up the city. Nor was the requisite revelation
wanting in aid of the new location. “Thus sayeth
the Lord,” — as on so many former occasions — was
again sent abroad, and again it was answered by
an immigration greater than had responded to it on
any former occasion.

In September, 1839, the city of Nauvoo was
laid out and named, its legal proprietors being
Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith,
and George W. Robinson. Afterwards, down to
May, 1843, as many as fifteen additions had been
made to it, in several of which the prophet was in¬
terested, always with an eye single to his own ad¬
vantage.

The name “ Nauvoo” was said by its projectors
to be Hebrew for “ pleasant land.” Whether this
be true, we leave for linguists to determine, but
the site is acknowledged on all hands to be one of
the most pleasant and beautiful on the Mississippi
River. It is presumed, however, that the prophet
knew about as much of the Hebrew as he did of
the “Refonned Egyptian” (whatever that may

158 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

be) , the language in which the message was written
on the golden plates.

While still in jail in Missouri, the prophet had
written to the brethren at Commerce, suggesting
that statistics of their pecuniary losses in that State
should be collected, and presented to the United
States government, in order to enforce future pay¬
ment. It soon began to be urged in all the Mor¬
mon settlements, that Missouri was bound to make
full restitution, and that the authorities at Wash¬
ington would cause this to be done. During the
autumn, the prophet, with Rigdon and Colonel
Higbee, two of his chiefs, repaired to Washington
to lay the matter before Congress and President
Van Buren. They carried with them a large num¬
ber of certificates, reciting these individual losses,
made out and sworn to in due form, and with the
official seal of the county attached. Hon. John T.
Stuart, of Springfield, Whig member of Congress
from the district, was given charge of the matter
in the House of Representatives, and Henry Clay
was asked to lay it before the Senate. They also
made personal application to the President and to
Senator Calhoun. The latter bluntly informed
them that the general government had no authority
in the premises, and thereby evoked their lasting
displeasure. One of the houses made a special
report, citing the main features of the case, and

IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT. 159

declining to take further action; and no redress
was obtained, either through the action of Con¬
gress or the Executive. The chiefs returned to
Nauvoo highly incensed against the administration
and the nation in general. One of the great ob¬
jects sought had been attained, however — one con¬
sidered of great importance by them — namely, a
national notoriety.

Hon. Robert Lucas, a former Governor of Ohio,
was at this time Governor of the Territory of
Iowa. Previous to this embassy to Washington,
he had been appealed to for a favorable testimonial,
and he responded with the following :

“ Iowa Territory, Jan. 4, 1840.

“Sir: — You informed me that a committee of
Mormons are about to apply to the Congress of the
United States for an investigation on the cause of
their expulsion from the State of Missouri, and to
ask of the general government remuneration for
the losses sustained by them in consequence of such
expulsion, and ask me to state my opinion of the
character and general conduct of those who have
settled in the Territory of Iowa, since their ex¬
pulsion from the State of Missouri.

“In compliance with your request, I will state that
I have had but little personal acquaintance with
them. I know that there was a community of them
in the northern part of the State of Ohio, and while
I resided in the State they were generally consid¬
ered an industrious, inoffensive people ; and I have
no recollection of ever having heard in that State
of their being charged with violating the laws of
the country.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ Since their expulsion from Missouri, a portion
of them, about one hundred families, have settled
in Lee County, Iowa Territory, and are generally
considered industrious, and worthy citizens.

“ Very respectfully, yours,

“ Robekt Lucas,

“ Gov. of Iowa Ter.

“To A. Ripley.”

It is clear that Governor Lucas had not resided
in the northern section of Ohio.

A great conference of the church was held at
Nauvoo on the 6th of April, 1840, lasting three
days, at which, it was said, there were several thou¬
sand persons present. Elated with the prospect
before them, the members from far and near flocked
to this annual church gathering ; while many of
the Gentile neighbors also attended through a
curiosity to see and know of what stuff the prophet
and his chiefs and followers were made. At this
meeting, a large number of missionary appoint¬
ments were made ; among these, Elders Orson Hyde
and John E. Page were commissioned to visit the
Jews in Europe and at Constantinople and Jerusa¬
lem. An official greeting was made out and signed
by President Smith and the clerk, which recites
that :

“We have by the counsel of the Holy Spirit ap¬
pointed Elder Orson Hyde [Page was added after¬
wards], the bearer of these presents, a faithful and
worthy minister of Jesus Christ, to be our agent
and representative in foreign lands, to visit the

IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT. 161

cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople, and
Jerusalem, and also other places that he may deem
expedient, and converse with the priests, rulers,
and elders of the Jews, and obtain from them all
the information possible, and communicate the
same to some principal paper for publication, that
it may have a general circulation throughout the
United States.”

This seems to have been not a proselyting mis¬
sion, but a mere voyage of discovery, perhaps to
ascertain the best fields for missionary labor. In
due time these elders returned, and reported through
their own church organ, the Times and Seasons;
but the promised “ information” in some principal
paper never came to light. The Jews of Europe
and Jerusalem took little interest in the history of
their brethren who stole away thirteen centuries
ago from their native city in such questionable
manner, nor of their Nephite and Lamanite descend¬
ants in the promised land. Indeed, we have yet
to learn of one of the race having embraced the
Mormon faith.

The conference also passed a series of resolutions,
thanking the people of Illinois for their kind and
generous conduct towards them ; the Illinois dele¬
gation in Congress for their course ; and Governors
Carlin of Illinois and Lucas of Iowa for their sym¬
pathy and protection. There were also several
resolutions passed criticising the report of the Ju-

162

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

diciary Committee of Congress, and pronouncing
said report “ unconstitutional ” !

As all the important movements of these people
were directed by Smith through so-called revela¬
tions, these were always forthcoming when wanted.
The following for building up the new city, claims
to have no higher authority than the will of the
prophet himself, but was obeyed all the same :

TO THE SAINTS ABROAD.

“The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, anxious to promote
the prosperity of said church, feel it their duty to
call on the Saints who reside out of this county to
make preparations to come in, without delay. This
is important, and should be attended to by all who
feel an interest in the prosperity of this, the comer-
stone of Zion. Here the temple must be raised,
the university be built, and other edifices erected
which are necessary for the good work of the last
days, and which can only be done by a concentra¬
tion of energy and enterprise. Let it therefore be
understood, that all the Stakes, excepting those in
this county, and in Lee County, Iowa, are discon¬
tinued , and the Saints instructed to settle in this
county as soon as circumstances will permit.

“ Joseph Smith.

“ Hauvoo, Hancock Co., III., May 24, 1841 .”

It must be known that proselytes had been made
in different parts of the United States, and in
England and Wales, and many other parts of Eu¬
rope. And these recruits were chiefly drawn from
among the poorer classes of people. We have

IMMIGBATION AND SETTLEMENT. 163

heretofore used the terms “ king” and “ autocrat,”
in reference to this arrogant leader. Are they im¬
proper terms, and do him an injustice? Do they
not rather fall short of the truth? Did Turkish
Sultan or Russia’s Czar ever claim to exercise
greater authority over his subjects? Here is an
order, and it does not even purport to emanate
from heaven, requiring that his believers, wherever
located — in the United States, or Great Britain, on
the continent, or on the islands of the sea (and he
had agents in all these to make proselytes) — no
matter what their occupation or condition in life,
and owing allegiance no matter where — all must
gather around this new corner-stone of Zion, and
contribute of their energy and enterprise, money,
strength, sweat, and toil, for this latest great work
of the latter days !

The mandate was issued as if it was expected to
be obeyed ; and it was obeyed. Hundreds of the
faithful in all ranks and conditions of life — rich and
poor, artisans and farmers, and even the halt and
blind — wherever located, obeyed the injunction and
made haste to find homes and places for their
families in and around the new city.

164

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XVII.

PROGRESS AND POLITICS.

First Great Error— Presidential Election of 1840— How
Will the Prophet Vote? — Whig Convention — Nomi¬
nations— A Disgraceful Act— Little and Douglas—
Dr. Charles — The Charters — Their Character— Or¬
ganizations — John C. Bennett — The Warsaw Signal —
Smith Offended — His Characteristic Letter — The
“ Times and Seasons.”

The first great error committed by the people of
Illinois, in regard to the Mormons and Mormonism,
was in placing too much reliance on their stories of
persecution. They were continually reiterated,
and believed as often as asserted. The Mormons
were among them, objects of sympathy and aid;
the ‘ ‘ border ruffians ” of Missouri and Ohio were
at a distance ; and that was before railroads and
telegraphs and fast mails had penetrated these
prairie States.

Another great wrong had its origin in party
spirit. The two great parties of the nation, Demo¬
cratic and Whig, were pretty evenly balanced
in both county and State, and a highly exciting
Presidential election was approaching. It was
generally understood, or so proclaimed, that while
in Missouri Mr. Smith had been an adherent of the

PROGRESS AND POLITICS. 165

Democratic party ; but the rebuff he had met with
at Washington had greatly exasperated him against
the existing Van Buren administration. In addi¬
tion he had been kindly aided by Mr. Stuart in
Congress, and decorously treated by the great
Whig leader, Henry Clay. It was apparent that
the prophet’s influence could control the vote of
his followers ; and that this vote, if all thrown to
one party, would soon be sufficient to decide all
political contests in the county, and perhaps in the
State. Hence, it was only natural that politicians
of both parties should seek to attach the prophet
to their interests. In August, 1839, the election
did not turn on party politics, and but few of the
new-comers being voters, the result was much as
before — some of the aspirants from each party
being elected.

As the Presidential campaign progressed during
the summer of 1840, it was generally believed that
the prophet would vote against Mr. Van Buren ;
but that he would desert the whole Democratic
ticket was uncertain. As he had now several hun¬
dred votes at his control, it became a matter of
importance with candidates to secure his favor ;
and it was wonderful how many of them had busi¬
ness at Nauvoo. And while there, of course duty
and curiosity both required that they should call
pn the prophet, laugh at his rough jokes, listen to

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

his anathemas against Governor Boggs and the
Missouri mob, and his boasts of the up-building of
Zion, while partaking of his hospitable entertain¬
ment at his Mansion House hotel. Altogether, his
hotel was among the best stopping places in the
city, and their bills were always paid liberally and
willingly. Men of both parties were assiduous in
this — all anxious to receive some sign as to the
direction of the heavenly breezes that were ex¬
pected to blow in the coming August.* And these
signs were pretty equally divided among them all ;
all were allowed to go away with high hopes of
success.

It will be remembered that the Presidential elec¬
tion of 1840 was a highly exciting one ; and that
during the canvass the Whigs held many mass meet¬
ings in Illinois and elsewhere, popularly known as
“ Log Cabin and Hard Cider” demonstrations, in
favor of General Harrison for President. About
the last of March, one of these meetings — a very
large and enthusiastic one — was held at Carthage,
the county seat, in which some of the principal
Mormons participated. At this meeting nomina¬
tions were made for a representative to the State
Legislature, and for various county offices. The
ticket was well received by the party, and was

* Under the old Constitution, elections were held in the
month of August.

PROGRESS AND POLITICS. 167

placed at the head of the editorial columns of the
Western World at Warsaw, the Whig organ, where
it remained until the 2 2d of July. In the World
of that date it was announced that Mr. Martin
Hopkins, the candidate for Representative, had
withdrawn, and that Dr. John F. Charles had been
put up in his place. And what would the reader
guess was the reason for this change ? the purpose
of a party in thus setting aside a good and capable
man, and substituting another? Simply this : The
autocrat of Nauvoo had signified that he would not
support Mr. Hopkins ! No good ground for such
refusal was ever known ; but to such extent did
party subserviency go, in this second year of Mor-
monism in the State. It is not strange that Smith,
ambitious of power, and so lately at the bottom
round of the ladder, should have been elated at the
change, and willing to use the power of which he
found himself so suddenly in possession. The re¬
sult was that the whole Whig ticket for the county
was elected by an average majority of about four
hundred votes.

A characteristic circumstance in connection with
this election deserves to be mentioned. Of the
names of Whig electors for President and Vice-
President, that of Abraham Lincoln was " scratched”
by about two hundred voters at Nauvoo, and that
of his Democratic opponent in the district substi-

168

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tuted. Mr. Lincoln had in some way unknown
rendered himself obnoxious to the prophet.

Dr. Charles, the newly elected representative,
and also State Senator Sidney H. Little (previously
elected and holding over) , were both instrumental
the next winter in obtaining for the Mormons the
unusual charters granted by the Legislature. These
charters included one for the “ City of Nauvoo,”
for the ‘rNauvoo University,” and for an inde¬
pendent military organization called the “Nauvoo
Legion.” There was also one for an “Industrial
and Mechanical Association. Mr. Little was very
active in procuring their passage through the Sen¬
ate ; and to him and to Hon. Stephen A. Douglas,
then Secretary of State, were the Mormons chiefly
indebted for the extraordinary powers conferred by
these charters ; though they are stated to have
passed both houses without opposition, and to have
been read only by their titles. It is due, however,
to the memory of these honored and talented dead
statesmen, to believe that they could have had no
conception of the means that would be resorted to
for the abuse of powers so thoughtlessly conferred.

Mr. Little was a citizen of the county, a lawyer
of fine abilities, and possessed of great personal
magnetism, and was held in much esteem by all
classes of people. He had great influence with the
leaders of Nauvoo. He met a tragic death in Au-

PROGRESS AXD POLITICS.

gust, 1841, by being thrown from a buggy. What
might have been his course had he lived, is for an
inscrutable Providence to know ; but we feel sure
that had he remained among us, his fertile genius
and talents would have found a better way out of
the difficulties which were so soon to follow, than
through a road marked with violence and blood¬
shed.

The act (the charters were all contained in one
act) created a “City,” a “University,” and a
‘ ‘ Military Legion ” ; represented respectively by
a “ City Council,” a “ Board of Trustees,” and a
“ Court Martial,” each of which was invested with
legislative, judicial, and executive powers ; the light
to “enact, establish, ordain and execute, all laws
and ordinances not repugnant to the constitution
of the United States or of this State.” Xo proviso
appears in the act, guarding against infringement
of the laws of either the State or the United States.
That usual proviso in charters, may or may not
have been purposely omitted ; but it will be found
on examination, that in all other charters granted
at that session, infractions of the laws as well as
the constitutions are included among the provisos.
It is, however, an obvious fact, that the Judiciary
Committee, both houses of the Legislature, and the
Governor who signed the bill, in passing it in the

170 THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

manner they did, omitted the performance of their
plain duty.

The Legion was made independent of the rest of
the military of the State. It had created for its
commander, an officer whose title was unknown
elsewhere in the State or nation, that of “Lieu¬
tenant-General ” ; and any citizen of the county
was at liberty to enroll himself as a member, by
which all the brethren everywhere in the county
were brought under the same military control.

Soon after the settlement had begun at Nauvoo,
and before the prophet had escaped from the Mis¬
souri jail, a small monthly organ of the church was
established, under the charge of Ebenezer Eobinson
and Don C. Smith, the latter a young brother of
the prophet. Its first issue was dated November,
1839. This paper was changed subsequently to a
semi-monthly, and was continued during the whole
period of the Mormon sojourn in the county, with
numerous changes in its ownership and manage¬
ment. Its title was Times and Seasons. Once
or twice it was nominally conducted by the prophet
himself, its latest editor being John Taylor, one of
the Twelve, and at the present writing, the suc¬
cessor to Brigham Young at Salt Lake.

On the third of February, 1841, the city of
Nauvoo was organized under its charter, with Dr.
John C. Bennett as its first mayor. The Legion

PBOGBESS AND POLITICS.

171

and the University were organized about the same
time — President Joseph Smith as Lieutenant-Gen¬
eral, and Bennett as Major-General of the Legion,
and James Kell}', A. M., “an alumnus of Trinity
College, Dublin,” as chancellor of the University.
All these organizations were effected with great
show and ceremony, and attracted crowds of peo¬
ple, both Mormon and Gentile. One of the first
acts of the city council was to pass a series of
resolves conveying thanks to the State govern¬
ment for favors conferred, and to the citizens of
Quincy for kindness shown them when driven from
Missouri. The Legion was furnished with State
arms by General Bennett, who, we omitted to
state, had the year before been appointed Quarter-
Master-General of the State by Governor Carlin.

Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, who had at the last
legislative session been elected one of the Judges
of the Supreme Court, and assigned to circuit duty
in that district, held a court in Hancock County
early in May, 1841. One of his first acts was the
appointment of the newly-made Major-General of
the Legion to the office of Master in Chancery.
This act of indiscretion met with general con¬
demnation by the old settlers of the count}"*. It
was rebuked in strong terms by the Warsaw Sig¬
nal (then the only paper in the county outside of
Nauvoo), urging as valid objections to the ap-

172

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

pointment, that Bennett was a stranger in the
county, and that the mass of the people had no
confidence in him. In the same issue of that jour¬
nal was an editorial referring to an existing rumor
that some newly-arrived emigrants from England
were dissatisfied with affairs at Nauvoo. The
Signal continued :

“ But this is no concern of ours. While on the
subject, however, we will notice an accusation
which has been made against us — that of having for
political effect flattered the Mormons. This is not
true. We have occasionally noticed their doings,
but not with any such design. We believe they
have the same rights as other religious bodies pos¬
sess, and ought to be protected in the just and
proper exercise of those rights. We do not be¬
lieve in persecution for opinion’s sake. But when¬
ever they, as a people, step beyond the proper
sphere of a religious denomination, and become a
political body, as many of our citizens are begin¬
ning to apprehend will be the case, then this press
stands pledged to take a stand against them. On
religious questions it is and shall remain neutral ;
but it is bound to oppose the concentration of
political power in a religious body, or in the hands
of a few individuals.”

No one can claim that the foregoing was unjust
in sentiment or purpose toward any class of people
or any individual. It fairly and firmly expressed
the feeling that existed in the public mind through¬
out the county and State, without regard to party
distinctions. Yet it gave great offence to the

PBOGBESS AND POLITICS. 173

reigning authority at Nauvoo. Soon afterwards
the following note was received by the editor of
the Signal through the mail :

“Nauvoo, Ill., May 26, 1841.
“Mr. Sharp, Editor of the Warsaw Signal:

“ Sir : — You will discontinue my paper ; its con¬
tents are calculated to pollute me. And to patron¬
ize that filthy sheet, that tissue of lies, that sink of
iniquity, is disgraceful to any moral man.

“Yours with contempt,

“Joseph Smith.

“ P. S. — Please publish the above in your con¬
temptible paper.”

DrT John C. Bennett was a late convert to the
Mormon faith. He came to Nauvoo from a distant
part of the State, soon ingratiated himself into the
confidence of the prophet, and about the first of Oc¬
tober, 1840, was baptized, and at once became a
conspicuous and active leader. He was a man of
liberal education, excessively vain and pompous,
and of good address ; and yet he brought with him,
if not a tainted, at least a questionable reputation,
which his career at Nauvoo did not improve. He
was said to have been at the time a comparative
stranger in the State ; and how he came to be the
recipient of two or three important offices, was not
understood. Governor Ford’s account of this in¬
dividual is so tersely written, and so well accords
with the general opinion concerning him, that we
give it in his own language :

174 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ This Bennett was probably the greatest scamp
in the Western country. I have made particular
inquiries concerning him, and have traced him in
several places in which he has lived before lie-
joined the Mormons — in Ohio, Indiana, and Illi¬
nois — and he was everywhere accounted the same
debauched, unprincipled and profligate character.
'He was a man of some little talent, and had the
confidence of the Mormons, and particularly that
of the leaders.” — Hist, of Illinois, page 263.

In referring to the appointment of Bennett to be
Master in Chancery, the Signal had used the fol¬
lowing language :

“Bennett has but recently become an inhabitant
of this State. He came here followed by evil re¬
port — he joins a sect and advocates a creed in
which no one believes he has any faith — his true
character is not known to our citizens, nor have
they any confidence in him.”

To this the next issue of the Times and Seasons
responded :

“ . . . But General Bennett’s character as
a gentleman, an officer, a scholar and physician,
stands too high to need defending by us ; suffice it
to say that he is in the confidence of the executive,
holds the office of Quarter-Master-General of the
State, etc.”

It is interesting to contrast this with what these
people had to say of Dr. Bennett about a year
afterwards — for which see a future chapter.

AN ANTI-MORMON PARTY.

175

CHAPTER XYin.

AN ANTI-MORMON PARTY.

Unworthy Sycophancy— A Growing Apprehension — Public
Meetings — Anti-Mormon Party— Candidates Elected
— Thomas Ford Nominated for Governor— The Wasp.

The consideration with which the prophet was
treated by the great men of the land — governors,
judges, politicians, divines, and others — had much
effect in pampering his pride and vanity, and lead¬
ing him on to his destruction. Had all these
prominent men treated him as they knew he de¬
served, and sternly said to him : “ Joseph Smith !
you are an arrant knave and impostor, and deserve
the contempt of all honest men,” or had they even
neglected to run after and fawn upon him ; he
would have fallen into obscurity, and we would
long since have ceased to hear of Mormonism, ex¬
cept as one of those fantastic tricks with which the
world is so frequently afflicted.

The following is one among many instances of
the character to which we refer. On a certain
- Sunday in May, Judge Douglas, then holding court
in Carthage, in company with Cyrus Walker, Esq.,
an attorney at the bar — prominent leaders in the

176

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

two great political parties — paid Nauvoo and the
prophet a visit, and were received with high con¬
sideration. They went to hear him deliver one
of his usual politico-religious harangues, with
which he weekly favored the gaping multitude ;
and there these two dignitaries were taken to the
stand and introduced to the congregation, and after
being complimented by the chief, made flattering
speeches in return.

This is only one among the many cases that were
constantly occurring during the greater period of
Smith’s residence in Nauvoo. It is not a matter
of wonder, then, that in view of his constant com¬
mands to the faithful to come and settle in the
county — the course so certain to be pursued by
them at all times — with what was daily transpiring
among the politicians, that the sober and reflecting
people of the county, should become alarmed, and
begin to look about for some mode of redress. In
consequence of this growing apprehension, public
meetings began to be held in various neighbor¬
hoods ; and finally it was decided to call a county
convention to consider the subject. One was ac¬
cordingly held at the county seat on the 28th of
June, 1841, composed of many of the best citizens
from both political parties. This convention de¬
cided to adopt and carry forward a policy which
at this day may be regarded by many as indiscreet ?

AN ANTI-MORMON PARTY. 177

namely, the organization of a party in opposition
to Mormon influence, and to put forward candi¬
dates for office. Whether this policy was the best,
in view of all the circumstances and of the results,
it were hard to determine.

Accordingly a Democrat and a Whig were put
up for the only two county offices to be filled that
year — County Commissioner and School Commis¬
sioner. The first was elected by a majority of
twenty-four and the latter by four votes over their
competitors. It is proper to add that neither of
their opponents were Mormons, but belonged to
each of the political parties, and were supported
by -the Mormon vote. At this election, Hon. John
T. Stuart received the almost unanimous Mormon
vote for Congress.

From this convention — and it was one of the
most respectable and earnest ones ever held in the
county — may be dated the rise of the “Anti-Mor¬
mon” party, and the origin of the term “Anti-
Mormon,” as applied to those who were seeking to
counteract Mormon influence in the county and
State ; a party which existed during the whole re¬
maining period of Mormon residence in the county,
and which met with much vituperation and mis¬
representation by many of the presses of the coun¬
try. Its aim was patriotic and commendable ; yet
it will not be denied that, in the excitements of

178

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

party strife, many acts of unnecessary and unlaw¬
ful violence were committed by it — the crowning
one of which was the expulsion of the sect from the
State.

Two of the resolutions passed at the convention,
will not be out of place in this connection. It re¬
solved :

“ That with the peculiar religious opinions of the
people calling themselves Mormons, or Latter-Day
Saints, we have nothing to do ; being at all times
perfectly willing that they shall remain in full pos¬
session of all the rights and privileges which our
constitution and laws guarantee and other citizens
enjoy.

“That in standing up, as we do, to oppose the
influence which these people have obtained, and
are likely to obtain, in a political capacity, over
our fellow citizens and their liberties, we are guided
only by a desire to defend ourselves against a
despotism, the extent and consequences of which
we have no means of ascertaining.”

The convention also put forth an earnest address
to the people, urging them to lay aside all party
differences in support of the principles and policy
of the new organization.

In the latter part of the year 1841, the Demo¬
cratic party of the State met in convention at the
capital, and nominated Hon. Adam W. Snyder for
Governor, ex-Governor Joseph Duncan being the
candidate of the Whigs. But Mr. Snyder dying
soon after, Judge Thomas Ford was nominated in

AN ANTI-MORMON PARTY. 179

his stead. Eearly in 1842, the prophet issued a
proclamation enjoining his followers to vote the
Democratic ticket — which they did, electing all its
candidates in the county, and aiding to swell Judge
Ford’s majority over his competitor. The Anti-
Mormon party, as in the year before, put a full
ticket in the field, only to be defeated. It had ob¬
tained in 1841 its first and only success.

Among the elected this year was William Smith,
a young brother of the prophet, to the responsible
office of representative in the General Assembly.
William (or as he was always called, “ Bill Smith ”)
was an illiterate, wild, and reckless scion of the
family, of rather questionable character, even among
his own people ; but who had been advanced to
the position of “ Patriarch” in the church, in order
to receive the perquisites arising therefrom. He
had also aspired to the dignity of editor, and had
conducted a little sheet which he had named The
Wasp — indicating that he regarded it as a stinger
among newspapers ; but for illiterate and vulgar
abuse, and silly nonsense, had seldom been excelled.
It had a sickly existence of a few months, and was
succeeded by the Nauvoo Neighbor , a larger, bet¬
ter, and more decent sheet.

These sheets, after the Times and Seasons ,
heretofore mentioned, were the organs and the
only organs of the Saints during their stay in

180 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Illinois. They were conducted — the monthly or
religious organ — mainly by the prophet himself,
though often relieved by others of his principal
adherents, and the latter, a weekly secular sheet,
by John Taylor, an English convert. The ability
displayed in their editorial management was below
that of most of the country press of the State.

THE NAUVOO TEMPLE.

181

CHAPTER XIX.

THE NAUVOO TEMPLE.

Temple Building — At Nauvoo — Corner Stones Laid —
Revelation Demanding It — Also a “ Boarding House”
— The Nauvoo House Unfinished — Stockholders
Named by Revelation.

Temple building seems to have ever been one of
the chief purposes of Mormonisin. The prophet
began at a very early day, at Kirtland, to extract
money and labor from his followers, ostensibly for
the purpose of rearing a grand structure in Zion,
in which to -worship and receive messages from the
Most High. One was built there, but never fin¬
ished until thirty or forty years after his death.
Others, how many we do not know, were begun or
projected in Missouri ; and now a still more impos¬
ing and magnificent one is to be commenced at
Nauvoo.

The revelation ordering this great work is one of
the most elaborate and remarkable among the
many issued by him. As it could only be built by
the free-will offerings of his people, ample provision
had to be made to secure these. One of the latest
revelations given in Missouri, was at Far West,
dated July 8, 1838, and was in answer to the qnes-

182

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tion : “ 0 Lord, show unto thy servants how much
thou requirest of the properties of the people for a
tithing.” And this is the answer :

“1. Verily thus saith the Lord, I require all
their surplus property to be put into the hands of
the bishop of my church of Zion, for the building
of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of
Zion, and for the priesthood, and for the debts of
the Presidency of my church ; and this shall be the
beginning of the tithing of my people ; and after
that, those who haye thus been tithed shall pay one-
tenth of all their interest annually ; and this shall
be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy
priesthood, saith the Lord.”

What portion of a man’s property may be called
“surplus,” would be hard for most men to deter¬
mine, but was doubtless easy for the Mormon
prophet ; and as the question was left for him or
the bishop to decide, we may conclude that the
surplus was often large. It was rather heavy tax¬
ation, however, to require all his surplus at the
beginning, and then ten per cent, annually forever
on the remainder. But the requirements for this
heavy taxation were great and numerous ; the tem¬
ple was to be built, the “foundations of Zion”
were to be laid, the “ priesthood ” was to be sup¬
ported, and the ‘ ‘ debts of the Presidency ” were to
be paid. This was given in Missouri, where a
temple was planned, insignificant in comparison with
the one now to be built. It has been claimed by

THE NAUVOO TEMPLE.

183

Mormon authority, that this Nauvoo temple cost
them over a million of dollars. Three to four hun¬
dred thousand, it is believed, would have been
ample for the purpose. What became of the re¬
mainder, the reader must guess.

Preparations for the work were early begun, and
on the 6th of April, 1841, the eleventh anniversary
of the formation of the church in New York, the
corner stone was laid with imposing ceremonies,
and in presence of several thousand people. The
Legion was out in full force, amounting to over
six hundred men, under command of Lieutenant-
General Smith and Major-General Bennett. Sidney
Rigdon was the orator of the day. And from that
day forward, until driven into the wilderness, these
people contributed of their “ surplus,” and their
labor, toward its completion ; constant demands
were made upon them for more, and constant com¬
mands sent abroad for money and means to carry
forward the work.

The revelation given for the erection of this tem¬
ple wras dated January 19, 1841, and provided also
for a grand hotel for the prophet to live in. It is
very lengthy and explicit on many points. The
Kings of the Earth were to be called upon for aid,
and Robert B. Thompson was enjoined to help write
the proclamation. We can only quote portions :

. . I sav unto vou that you ai’e now

184

THE PliOPHET OF PALMYRA.

called to make a solemn proclamation of my gospel,
and of this Stake which I have planted to be the
corner stone of Zion, which shall be polished with
that refinement which is after the similitude of a
palace. This proclamation shall be made to all the
Kings of the World, to the four corners thereof,
to the honorable President-elect, and the high-
minded governors of the nation in which you live,
and to all the nations of the earth, scattered abroad.
. . . Awake ! O Kings of the Earth ! Come

ye, O come ye, with your gold and your silver, to
the help of my people, to the house of the daugh¬
ters of Zion. And again, verily I say unto you,
let my servant Robert B. Thompson help you to
write this proclamation ;

“And again, I say unto you, blessed is my ser¬
vant, Hyrum Smith, .

“Again let my servant John C. Bennett help
you in your labor. . . . I have seen the work which
he hath done, which I accept, if he continue, and will
crown him with blessings and great glory.* . . .

“And again I say unto you, that it is my will
that my servant, Lyman Wight, should continue
preaching for Zion, . . . that when he shall

finish his work, I may receive him unto myself,
even as I did David Patten, who is with me at this
time, and also my servant, Edward Partridge, and
also my aged servant, Joseph Smith, Sr., who sit-
teth with Abraham, at his right hand, and blessed
and holy is he, for he is mine.

“And again I say unto you, my servant George
Miller is without guile, ... I therefore seal
upon his head the office of a bishoprick,

“Let my servant George, and my servant Ly-

* After the quarrel with Bennett, a short time afterwards,
Smith published in the Times and Seasons a statement that
soon after Bennett joined them, he had letters from abroad
telling what a scamp he was, and cautioning them to beware
of him.

THE NAUVOO TEMPLE.

185

man, and my servant John Snyder, and others,
build a house unto my name, such an one as my
servant Joseph shall show unto them, upon the
place which he shall show unto them also. And it
shall be for an house for boarding, an house that
strangers may come from afar to lodge therein ;
therefore let it be a good house, worthy of all
acceptation, that the weary traveller may find health
and safety while he shall contemplate the word of
the Lord, and the corner stone I have appointed for
Zion. This house shall be a healthy habitation, if
it be built unto my name, and if the governor,
which shall be appointed unto it shall not sutler
any pollution to come upon it. It shall be holy,
or the Lord your God will not dwell therein. . . .

“And now, I say unto you, as pertaining to my
boarding house, which I have commanded you to
build, for the boarding of strangers, let it be built
unto my name, and let my name be named upon it ;
and let my servant Joseph and his house have
place therein, from generation to generation; for
this anointing have I put upon his head, that his
blessing shall be put upon the head of his posterity,
after him ; and as I said unto Abraham, concerning
the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my
servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed, shall the
kindred of the earth be blessed. Therefore, let my
servant Joseph, and his seed after him, have place
in that house, from generation to generation, for¬
ever and ever, saith the Lord, and let the name of
that house be called the Nauvoo House ; and let it
be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting-
place for the weary traveler, that he may contem¬
plate the glory of Zion, and the glory of this the
corner-stone thereof ; that he may receive, also, the
counsel from those whom I have set to be as plants
of renown, and as watchmen upon her walls.”

186

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Then it goes on to organize a stock company for
the building of the hotel, providing “my sei*-
vants,” George Miller, Lyman Wight, John Snyder,
and Peter Haws, shall be the corporators ; that they
shall form a constitution and receive stock in shares
of fifty dollars each, but that no one shall hold more
than fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of stock ; “ but
if he pay nothing,” he shall receive no stock ; that
they shall not appropriate the stock for any other
purpose, under the penalty of repaying fourfold,
“ for I, tho Lord, am God, and cannot be mocked
in any of these things.”

“ My servant Joseph,” is also allowed to pay
stock into their hands ; and“ there are others also,
who wish to know my will concerning them ; for
they have asked it of my hands ” ; therefore, Vinson
Knight, and brother Hyrum, and Isaac Galland,
and William Marks, and Henry G. Sherwood, and
William Law, and Amos Davis, “my servants,”
were all specially named as authorized to become
stockholders. But no man was allowed to become
a stockholder, “ unless he be a believer in the
Booh of Mormon and the revelations I have given
unto you.” It is quite certain that at least two of
those named never believed in the Booh of Mormon,
and well understood the object of the revelations ;
it is not certain whether they ever subscribed to
the stock.

THE NATJVOO TEMPLE.

187

And yet that house, which was to be “ worthy of
all acceptation,” and the habitation of Smith and
his family, “ from generation to generation, forever,”
was never occupied by him, and was never finished.
Mrs. Smith, with her Gentile second husband, re¬
sided in a portion of it during the latter years of her
lifetime. The command for the erection of the
temple was equally decisive and imperative. It
said, in part :

“And again, verily I say unto you, let all my
Saints come from afar ; and send ye swift messen¬
gers, yea, chosen messengers, and say unto them,
Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and
your precious stones, and with all your antiquities ;
and with all who have knowledge of antiquities,
that will come may come, and bring the box tree,
and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with
all the precious trees of the earth ; and with iron ,
with copper, with brass, and with zinc, and with
all your precious things of the earth , and build an
house to my name, for the Most High to dwell
therein ; for there is not a place found on earth that
he may come and restore again that which was lost
unto you, or, which he hath taken away, even the
fulness of the priesthood ; for a baptismal font there
is not upon the earth ; that they, my Saints, may
be baptized for those who are dead ; for this ordi¬
nance belongeth to my house, and cannot be accept¬
able to me, only in the days of your poverty,
wherein ye are not able to build an house unto me.
But I command you, all ye my Saints, to build an
house unto me ; and I grant unto you a sufficient
time to build an house unto me, and during this
time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto
me. ...”

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

And the temple was built, though never com¬
pletely finished, a handsome and imposing struc¬
ture, at a great cost of money and labor. For
several years, the brethren residing over the county,
and in near portions of the State and Iowa, would
come and labor on it, giving to its service one-
tenth of their time ; and would convey to the city
and deposit in the “ Lord’s Store House,” for the
use of the laborers, and for the support of the Pres¬
idency and the priesthood, one-tenth of all the
products of their farms and shops. “ Holiness to
the Lord ” was artistically displayed in golden
letters upon it, and from its commanding position
on the bluff in the city, it could be seen for miles
around, a beautiful and imposing spectacle. Its
walls were built of a beautiful dressed limestone,
from extensive quarries on the Mississippi bluff, two
miles below the city.

HYRUM SMITH.

MUCH ADO ABOUT THEFT.

CHAPTER XX.

MUCH ADO ABOUT THEFT.

Hyrum Smith’s Affidavit — And the Twelve — Krother
Joseph’s Affidavit and Proclamation— The Court-
Martial and All the Generals.

One of the many charges made against the Lat¬
ter-Day Saints while in Illinois, was that the rank
and file were prone to appropriate the property of
their Gentile neighbors to their own use. That
this propensity did exist among them, to a greater
extent than among outsiders, is capable of the clear¬
est demonstration, though strenuously denied on
their part. There were two causes — excuses, we
may say — for this propensity. One was the ex¬
treme poverty of many of them, dragged about, as
many of them had been, from place to place, and
robbed of their scanty means, to pamper their lead¬
ers ; and the other was, the teachings of the leaders
themselves. It is not to be supposed that the
prophet or many of his numerous missionaries
meant to inculcate theft ; but they did teach, and
it was ever one of the chief burdens of their ha¬
rangues, that “ the earth is the Lord’s and the ful¬
ness thereof,” and that the Gentile possessions were
soon to fall into the hands of his Saints for an inher-

190

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

itance, and “we” are his Saints. Many of the
more ignorant among them interpreted these teach¬
ings too literally, and anticipated the time when
this event was to take place. And it is a well-
known fact, that leaders and officials would generally
endeavor to screen those charged with the offence,
under the pretext that it was outside persecu¬
tion.

The fact that these charges of theft had become
so frequent, and were evidently having effect in
the community, led the authorities to take action
upon them, and we copy below some curious docu¬
ments, showing what that action was. They will be
found in the Times and Seasons of December 1,
1841:

HYRUM SMITH’S AFFIDAVIT.

“ Whereas, it hath been intimated to me by per¬
sons of credibility, that there are persons in the
surrounding country who profess to be members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who
have been using their influence and endeavoring to
instil into the minds of good and worthy citizens
in the State of Illinois, and the adjoining States,
that the First Presidency and others in authority
and high standing in said church, do sanction and
approbate the members of said church in stealing
property from those persons who do not belong to
said church, and thereby to induce persons to aid
and abet them in the act of stealing, and other evil
practices, I therefore disavow hereby any sanction
or approbation by me, of the crime of theft, or any

MUCH ADO ABOUT THEFT. 191

other evil practice, in any person whatever, whereby
either the lives or property of our fellow-citizens
may be unlawfully taken or molested ; neither are
such things sanctioned or approbated by the First
Presidency, or any other person in authority or
good standing in said church, but such acts are
altogether in violation of the rules, order, and reg¬
ulations of the church, contrary to the teachings
of said church, and the laws of both God and man.
I caution the unwary, who belong to the aforesaid
church, and all other persons, against being duped
or led into any act or scheme which may endanger
their character, lives, or property, or bring reproach
upon the church ; and I certify that I hold my per¬
son and property ready to support the laws of the
land, in the detection of any person or persons who
may commit any breach of the same. To which I
subscribe my name and testify, this 26th day of
November, 1841.

“ Hyrum Smith.”

“ Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 26th
day of November, 1841.

“ E. Robinsox, J. P.”

Then follows a long address from the Twelve,
from which we copy only the concluding para¬
graph :

“We hope that what we have written may suf¬
fice, and take this opportunity of expressing our
decided and unqualified disapprobation of anything
like theft, in all its bearings, as being calculated to
destroy the peace of society, to injure the Church
of Jesus Christ, to wound the character of the peo¬
ple of God, and to stamp with eternal infamy all
who follow such diabolical practices, to blast their

THE PEOPHET OF PALMYBA.

character on earth, and to consign them to eternal
perdition.

“ (Signed),
Brigham Young,
Heber C. Kimball,
Parley P. Pratt,
John E. Page,
Willard Richards,
Lyman Wight,

“ JVauvoo , III., Dec.

Orson Hyde,
William Smith,
Orson Pratt,
Wilford Woodruff,
John Taylor,
George A. Smith.

1, 1841.”

Next follows another affidavit from the prophet
himself, without doubt in his own language and of
his own composition :

“City of Nauvoo, Nov. 20, a.d. 1841.

‘ ‘ To the Public : — The transpiration of recent
events makes it criminal in me to remain longer
silent. The tongue of the vile yet speaks, and
sends forth the poison of asps ; the ears of the
spoiler yet hear, and he puts forth his hand to
iniquity. It has been proclaimed upon the house¬
top, and in the secret chamber, in the public walks
and private circle, throughout the length and
breadth of this vast continent, that stealing by the
Latter-Day Saints has received my approval ; nay,
that I have taught the doctrine, encouraged them
in plunder, and led on the van — than which noth¬
ing is more foreign from my heart. I disfellowship
the perpetrators of all such abominations ; they are
devils and not Saints, totally unfit for the society
of Christians or men. It is true, that some profess¬
ing to be Latter-Day Saints have taught such vile
heresies, but all are not Israel that are of Israel ;
and I wish it to be distinctly understood, that in
all coming time, that the church over which I have,
the honor of presiding, will ever set its brows like

Muni ADO ABOUT THEFT.

193

brass, and its face like steel, against all such abom¬
inable acts of villainy and crime : and to this end I
append my affidavit of disavowal, taken this day
before General Bennett, that there may be no mis¬
take hereafter as to my real sentiments, or those
of the leaders of the church, in relation to this im¬
portant matter : ”

“ State of Illinois, )

Hancock County. 5 SS’

“Before me, John C. Bennett, Mayor of the
City of Nauvoo, personally came Joseph Smith,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints (commonly called Mormons), who,
being duly sworn according to law, deposeth and
sayeth, that he has never directly or indirectly, en¬
couraged the purloining of property, or taught the
doctrine of stealing, or any other evil practice, and
that all such vile and unlawful acts will ever re¬
ceive his unqualified and unreserved disapproval,
and the most vigorous ..opposition of the church
over which he presides, and further this deponent
saith not.

“ Joseph Smith,

“ President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints.

“ Sworn to and subscribed before me, at my
office, in the City of Nauvoo, this 29th day of No¬
vember, Anno Domini, 1841.

“John C. Bennett,

“ Mayor of the City of Nauvoo.”

“ Now, it is to be hoped that none hereafter will
be so reckless as to state that I, or the church to
which I belong, approve of thieving, but that all the
friends of law and order will join in ferreting out
thieves wherever and whenever they may be found,

194

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

and assist in bringing them to that condign punish¬
ment which such infamous crimes so richly merit.

“Joseph Smith,

“ President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints.”

Nor was this all. The Legion got after a brace
of thieves and ran them clear through the Circum¬
locution Office :

COURT-MARTIAL.

“ City of Nauvoo, Nov. 30, 1841.

“ To Brevet Maj.-Gen. Wilson Law: —

“ We, the undersigned, members of the General
Court-Martial, detailed by you, on the order of
Lieut.-Gen. Smith, through Maj.-Gen. Bennett, for
the trial of David Smith and Joseph Holbrook,
officers of the Nauvoo Legion, charged with theft,
and being accessory thereto, are of the opinion that
they are guilty of the charge preferred against
them, and our unanimous decision is that they be
cashiered, and their names be stricken from the
rank roll.

“ Witness against David Smith : Hazen Kimball.

“ Witness against Joseph Holbrook: B. Young
and W. Richards.

“ Hyrum Smith,

Brev. Brig. -Gen. and President of the Court.

Wm. Law, Brevet Maj.-Gen.

C. C. Rich, Brig. -Gen. 2d Cohort.

H. McFall, Adj.-Gen.

Daniel H. Wells, Com.-Gen.

S. Bent, Col. 3d Reg. 2d Cohort.

T. Billings, Col. 1st Reg. 2d Cohort.

J. T. Barnett,

Ca.pt. 3 d Co. 1st Reg. 2d Cohort.

Members of the Court.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT THEFT. 195

“To Maj.-Gen. Bennett:—! approve of theahove
decision, and submit it to you for action on the
case.

“Wilson Law, Brevet Maj.-Gen.”

tt Lt.-Gen. Smith : — The General Court-Mar¬
tial detailed for the trial of David Smith and Joseph
Holbrook, officers of the Nauvoo Legion, have made
the above report to me, and asked my concurrence
m the same, which, under the circumstances, can¬
not be withheld; it is, therefore, submitted to you
tor your final approval or disapproval.

“ JohnC. Bennett, Maj.-Gen

“Approved :

“ Joseph Smith, Lt.-Gen

And the culprit officers heaved big sighs of relief,
and escaped the legal punishment due to their
crimes ; while the people of the county put extra
locks on their doors.

196

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE GAME OF HABEAS CORPUS.

Arrest of Smith at Quincy, 1841 — Trial Before Judge
Douglas at Monmouth and Discharge — Attempted
Assassination of Governor Boggs of Missouri— 0. P.
Rockwell Charged with the Crime — New Demand for
Smith and Rockwell — Arrest in Nauvoo — Habeas Cor¬
pus Applied by the Municipal Court — Ford’s State¬
ment — Re-arrest and Trial Before Judge Pope and
Discharge— The Writs, etc.

It will be remembered that the prophet and three
or four of his associates had made their escape from
prison in Missouri, and were consequently re¬
garded as fugitives from justice. It was after¬
wards asserted, and was probably true, that their
escape was effected by the connivance or gross
carelessness of the officers in charge. At any rate,
it is believed that the Missouri authorities were
quite willing to be relieved of their presence. If
this were really so, there can be no valid reason
shown, why efforts should be again made to obtain
them. Yet Missouri justice, or Missouri ven¬
geance, was not satisfied; for, on June 5, 1841,
Mr. Smith, being in Quincy, was arrested on a
warrant from Governor Carlin, on a requisition
from the Governor of Missouri. Smith’s counsel

THE GAME OF HABEAS COIiPUS.

197

at once obtained a wijit of habeas corpus from
Calvin A. Warren, Esq., Master in Chancery for
Adams County — Judge Douglas being then absent
holding court at Monmouth, Warren County. But
coming home to Quincy before the trial of the writ,
he ordered the writ and the prisoner to be sent to
Monmouth for a hearing on the following Monday.
This was done, and after argument of counsel, the
prisoner was discharged, on the ground that the
writ had been once returned before it was served,
and was functus officio.

The warrant for arrest, it appeared, had before
been in the hands of an officer, who, through fear,
or for some other cause, had returned it to the ex¬
ecutive office. This arrest and discharge of the
prophet caused much excitement and comment, at
Nauvoo and elsewhere. The decision of the judge
was generally accepted as correct ; yet a strong
suspicion prevailed that the whole thing was ar¬
ranged and concocted for political effect. Of this
we know of no existing proof.

On the morning of the 7th of May, 1842, the
people near his residence in Missouri, were startled
to learn that during the night an attempt had been
made to assassinate ex-Governor Boggs of that
State. He had been fired at through his window,
as he sat reading in his room, and seriously but
not fatally wounded. The assassin, who was after-

198

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

wards strongly suspected to have been the notorious
Orrin P. Rockwell, of Nauvoo, made his escape.
This man was known, far and wide, to be a des¬
perado, and was believed to be an active member
of the Danite Band. Though sometimes denounced
by the church organ as a bad man, he was no¬
toriously, through the whole period of eight years,
kept in close intimacy with Smith and the leadei’s.
Rockwell had been absent from the city for some
time previous to the attempt on the life of the ex-
Governor, and on his return openly boasted that
he had been in the vicinity of the Governor's resi¬
dence, visiting friends. He died a few years ago
at Salt Lake City, where he had held much the
same position under the authorities there as he had
maintained under the prophet — feared by Gentile
enemies and apostates as a “ destroying angel.”

That this man was the actual would-be-murderer
of Governor Boggs, and that he was commissioned
by Smith to do the deed, can scarcely admit of
doubt. The prophet had declared that Boggs
would die a violent death ; and he had stated that
Rockwell had gone “ to fulfil prophecy.” Nearly
all seceders subsequent to the event agreed in
maintaining the truth of the charge, including
Major-General Bennett, and Bi-igham Young him¬
self.

In the light of such proofs as are given in chap-

THE GAME OF HABEAS COBP US. 19!)

ter X. of this work, it is not difficult to believe
that 0. P. Rockwell was sent to kill ex-Governor
Boggs.

The hostility of the Missourians toward the
prophet was intensified by this attempt upon the
life of their former governor ; and in August a
new demand reached Governor Carlin at Quincy,
for Rockwell, as principal, and Smith, as accessory.
Accordingly, the Governor issued a warrant for
their arrest, which was placed in the hands of an
officer during the week after the August election.
He repaired to Xauvoo on Monday, the 8th, and
made the arrest without difficulty. The prisoners
were immediately taken on a writ of habeas corpus
issued by the municipal court of the city, brought
before that body, and at once discharged. The
officer insisting that the could had no jurisdiction,
and that the discharge was illegal, it was agreed
by Smith, that if the writ should be returned to
the Governor, with the indorsement that the prison-
ers had been discharged by the municipal court,
he would hold himself in readiness to obey, in case
the Governor should again send for him. The officer
thereupon returned to Quincy ; but was despatched
back again by the executive, with orders to re¬
arrest them at all hazards. In the mean time Smith
had taken legal counsel, and when the officer ar¬
rived had disappeared. It is believed that he was

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

secreted somewhere in the city. The name of
Rockwell seems to have somehow heen dropped.
Why no effort was ever afterwards made to procure
him, who was clearly amenable to the laws of Mis¬
souri, was never well understood by the public.

A clause in the city charter of Nauvoo provided
that ‘ ‘ the municipal court shall have power to
grant writs of habeas corpus in all cases arising
under the ordinances of the city council .” It Avas
under this grant, construed to include all cases of
arrest, that the court claimed its authority to take
the prisoners from the officer and set them at
liberty ; and it was the knowledge that this would
be done, which induced them so willingly to sub¬
mit to arrest. We find an ordinance of the city
council, dated the 8th day of August, the date of
the arrest ; but whether passed in anticipation of
that event, or subsequent to it, and to guard against
the future, does not appear. It provides for a
pro-tempore Mayor and Chief Justice of the muni¬
cipal court in contingent cases, and Smith, when
arrested, held both those offices. (See Ordinances.')

Of course the discharge was flagrantly illegal.
And thus the matter rested until the following
year, and Governor Carlin’s term having expired,
Governor Thomas Ford occupied the executive
chair. Quoting from Ford’s History of Illinois,
he says — page 314 :

THE GAME OF HABEAS COBPUS.

201

“As I before said, Governor Carlin, in 1842,
had issued his warrant for the arrest of Joe Smith,*
as a fugitive from justice in Missouri. This war¬
rant had never been executed, and was still out¬
standing when I came into office. The Mormons
were desirous of having the cause of arrest legally
tried in the federal court. Upon their application
a duplicate warrant was issued in the winter of
1842-3, and placed in the hands of the Sheriff of
Sangamon County. Upon this, Joe Smith came to
Springfield and surrendered himself as a prisoner.
A writ of habeas corpus was obtained from Judge
Pope of the federal court, and Smith was dis¬
charged.”

As much controversy arose concerning this dis¬
charge by Judge Pope, and as the papers in the
case illustrate the method of “ How not to do it,”
we copy them in full, with the Judge’s reasons
for the prisoner’s discharge. The following are
the official papers in the case — the italics are our
own :

“ State of Missouri, >

County of Jackson , 5

“ This day personally appeared before me, Sam¬
uel Weston, a Justice of the Peace within and for
the County of Jackson, the subscriber, Lilburn W.
Boggs, who being duly sworn doth depose and say,
that on the night of the 6th day of May, 1842,
while sitting in his dwelling in the town of Inde¬
pendence, in the County of Jackson, he was shot
with intent to kill, and that his life was despaired

* Governor Ford had little respect for the Mormon prophet,
and usually designated him by the nick-name “ Joe.”

202 TIIE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of for several days ; and that he believes, and has
good reason to believe, from evidence and infor¬
mation now in his possession, that Joseph Smith,
commonly called the Mormon prophet, was acces¬
sory before the fact of the intended murder, and
that the said Joseph Smith is a citizen or resident
of the State of Illinois ; and that the said deponent
hereby applies to the Governor of the State of Mis¬
souri to make demand on the Governor of the State
of Illinois, to deliver the said Joseph Smith, com¬
monly called the Mormon prophet, to some person
authorized to receive and convey him to the State
and custody aforesaid, there to be dealt with ac¬
cording to law.

“ Lilbtjkn W. Boggs.”

“ Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 20th
day of July, 1842.

“ Samuel Weston, J. P.”

‘ ‘ The Governor of the State of Missouri to the

Governor of the State of Illinois, Greeting:

“Whereas, it appears by the annexed docu¬
ment, which is hereby certified to be authentic,
that one Joseph Smith is a fugitive from justice,
charged with being accessory before the fact, to
an assault with intent to kill, made hy one 0. P.
Rockwell, on Lilburn W. Boggs in this State ; and
it is represented to the executive department of
this State, has fled to the State of Illinois:

“ Now, therefore, I, Thomas Reynolds, Governor
of the said State of Missouri, by virtue of the
authority in me vested by the constitution and
laws of the United States, do by these presents,
demand the surrender and delivery of the said
Joseph Smith to Edward R. Ford, who is hereby
appointed as the agent to receive the said Joseph
Smith, on the part of the State. In testimony, etc.”

THE GAME OF HABEAS COBPUS. 203

“ The People of the State of Illinois, to the Sheriff

of Sangamon County, Greeting :

“ Whereas, it has been made known to me by
the executive authority of the State of Missouri,
that one Joseph Smith stands charged by the affi¬
davit of one Lilburn W. Boggs, made on the 20th
day of July, 1842, at the County of Jackson, in
the State of Missouri, before Samuel Weston, a
Justice of the Peace, within and for the County of
Jackson aforesaid, with being accessory before the
fact, to an assault with intent to kill, made by one
O. P. Rockwell on Lilburn W. Boggs, on the night
of the 6th day of May, 1842, at the County of
Jackson, in said State of Missouri, and that the
said Joseph Smith had fled from the justice of said
State, and taken refuge in the State of Illinois :

“ Now, therefore, i, Thomas Ford, Governor of
the State of Illinois, pursuant to the constitution
and laws of the United States, and of this State, do
hereby command you to arrest and apprehend the
said Joseph Smith, if he be found within the limits
of the State aforesaid, and cause him to be safely
kept, and delivered to the custody of Edward B.
Ford, who has been duly constituted the agent of
the said State of Missouri, to receive said fugitive
from the justice of said State — he paying all fees and
charges for the arrest and apprehension of the said
Joseph Smith — and make due return to the ex¬
ecutive department of this State, of the manner in
which this writ may be executed. In testimony
whereof, etc.”

And now, at the distance of near a half century
from the date of these events, and regarding the
writs and the facts in the light of reason and com¬
mon sense, it seems like mere boy’s play that these
chief magistrates of two great States, and other

204

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

officials, were engaged in ; or, worse still, that
they were purposely issuing writs which they knew
to be defective, in order to avoid the responsibility
resting upon them as conservators of the peace and
upholders of the law’s majesty. The writs were
illegal and wrong — first, because if Joseph Smith
did send Orrin P. Rockwell to Missouri to kill
Governor Boggs, his offense was not against the
State of Missouri, but against the State of Illinois,
of which he was a resident and citizen, and by Illi¬
nois laws and in her courts must he be arraigned
for trial and punishment. Secondly, Governor
Boggs’s affidavit plainly charges that Smith is a
‘ ‘ resident and citizen of the State of Illinois ; ” and
hence, for Governor Reynolds and Governor Ford
to say that he had “ fled from the justice of the
State of Missouri,” was a palpable and unwarrant¬
able perversion of fact, not only as stated by Boggs,
but as they all knew it to exist.

So it is fair to presume that these officials knew,
and the prophet knew, before he submitted himself
as a prisoner at Springfield, that Judge Pope must
certainly discharge him. And he did discharge
him, chiefly on the grounds above stated, in these
words :

“The court can alone regard the facts as set
forth in the affidavit of Boggs, as having any legal
existence. The mis-recitals and over-statements

THE GAME OF HABEAS CORPUS.

205

in the requisition and warrant are not supported
by oath and cannot be received as evidence to de¬
prive a citizen of his liberty, and transport him to
a foreign State for trial. For these reasons Smith
must be discharged.”

THE PBOPHET OP PALM YEA.

CHAPTER XXII.

MORE HABEAS CORPUS WORK.

Another Indictment and Demand— Congressional Can¬
vass — Walker and Hoge — Arrest at Dixon — Great
Excitement — The Officers as Prisoners — The Prophet
Triumphant— A Strange Cavalcade — Another Habeas
Corpus — Lawyer Southwick’s Statement — Result of
the Canvass— Brother Hyrum’s Revelation — Walker
Defeated.

The interesting and exciting game of “ Demand
and Discharge,” played by the two Governors, was
not yet brought to an end. Major-General Ben¬
nett (as will be recounted in a future chapter),
quarrelled with his chief, and was discomfited and
disgraced, and compelled to leave the city. True
to his threat, he had gone to Missouri and had suc¬
ceeded in procuring another indictment against his
old friend, and another requisition. Ford’s history
states that this indictment and requisition included
both Smith and Rockwell for the attempt upon
Governor Boggs. But Mr. Southwick, one of
Smith’s attorneys in the case, stated that they were
for Smith alone, on the charge of “ treason against
the government of Missouri ” — the old offence. As
no after attempt was made to arrest Rockwell, this
latter statement is probably the correct one. On

MORE HABEAS CORPUS WOTtK.

207

this requisition, Governor Ford issued his warrant
for the arrest of the prophet, and placed it in the
hands of Harman T. Wilson of Carthage, a bold
and fearless Deputy Sheriff, with instructions to
serve, and place the prisoner in the care of Joseph
H. Reynolds, the agent of Missouri, who accom¬
panied him.

Before proceeding to relate occurrences in con¬
nection with this arrest, we must go back and
review the condition of affairs in the county at the
time. In the year 1843 it was not deemed expe¬
dient, nor was it possible, to keep up the Anti-
Mormon organization. Whig politicians had hopes
of receiving the Mormon vote — or at least of divid¬
ing it. Smith had been released from arrest by
Judge Pope, a Whig, and his cause had been ably
argued by Whig lawyers. The Democrats also
desired a party organization, and expected to retain
the vote because they had heretofore secured it, and
no reason was manifest for a change. The Warsaw
Message (Whig) had succeeded for a time the
Anti-Mormon Signal , and its political editor
strongly favored distinct Whig action and a full
Whig local and general ticket. On the 10th of
May a Whig Congressional district convention was
held at Rock Island, at which Mormon delegates
attended. Cyrus Walker of Macomb, was unan¬
imously chosen as the candidate for Congress.

208 TIIE' PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Joseph P. Hoge of Giilena, was about the same date
nominated' by a Democratic convention as his com¬
petitor. The district (the fifth) was very large,
embracing the fifteen northwestern counties of Jo
Daviess, Carroll, Stephenson, Winnebago, Ogle,
Whiteside, Rock Island, Mercer, Warren, Hender¬
son, McDonough, Stark, Lee, Knox, and Hancock,
the latter being the most southern.

The two Congressional candidates were repre¬
sentative men of their respective parties, and per¬
sonally popular* Mr. Walker was an old lawyer
of distinction in the State, of the class to which
Lincoln, McConnell, Bissell, Baker, Williams,
Browning, and Edwards belonged, and was regarded
as the peer of any of them. Mr. Hoge was a
younger and newer man, but was talented, ener¬
getic, and a good stump orator. He had never been
in any way identified with the Mormons, having his
residence in a county the most remote from them
in the district. Walker was supposed to be in
good favor at Nauvoo, as he had on several occa¬
sions acted as counsel to the prophet.

Soon after the nominations, the campaign of the
district began with great vigor. To make a thorough
canvass in so large a district, required a great deal
of time and a great amount of physical energy, it
being necessary to address the people in three or
four, and often eight or ten, places in a single

MORE HABEAS CORPUS WORK.

209

county. Irrespective of the Mormon vote, there
was a decided Whig majority in the district, and
the probabilities were strongly in favor of the suc¬
cess of the Whig candidate.

So stood affairs when the new warrant for Smith’s
arrest was placed in the hands of the officer. Learn¬
ing that Smith and his wife were on a visit to her
relatives at Palestine Grove in Lee County, toward
the north end of the district, and about one hun¬
dred and fifty miles from Xauvoo, the officer, in
company with the Missouri agent, quietly repaired
thither. They found the prophet at the house of
Tiis friend, arrested him, and placing him in a car¬
riage, started by way of Dixon, the county seat.
Here the prisoner was allowed to consult with law¬
yers, who procured for him a writ of habeas. corpus
from the Master in Chancery of said county. This
writ was made returnable before Judge Caton at
Ottawa, in whose circuit they were. This proceed¬
ing placed the officers with their prisoner in the
hands of the Sheriff of Lee County. The following
morning they started for Ottawa, distant about
forty miles, and after travelling three-fourths of the
distance, were informed that Judge Caton was tem¬
porarily absent from the State, when they returned
to Dixon.

Before starting for Ottawa, Smith had entered
suit in the Lee circuit court for false imprisonment

210

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

against Wilson and Reynolds ; and being unable to
procure bail, they were held in the custody of the
Sheriff. Against this arrest, the officers in turn
procured a writ of habeas corpus, returnable before
Judge Young at Quincy, in their own circuit, and
this writ was also placed in the hands of the Lee
Sheriff. After the return to Dixon, Smith pro¬
cured another writ of habeas corpus (as a substitute
for the first one) returnable before the ‘ ‘ nearest
tribunal in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, authorized
to hear and determine writs of habeas corpus .”
The fifth circuit embraced Quincy, the residence of
Judge Young, and Nauvoo, the residence of the
prophet, with a municipal court claiming the right
to hear and determine writs of habeas corpus in all
cases. ( ! )

These proceedings completely turned the tables
upon the two officers, and filled the hands of the
Lee Sheriff with prisoners and his pockets with
writs. Instead of the prophet for their prisoner,
they found themselves under arrest and unable to
give bail, with Smith really a free man. The fiat
had already gone forth that he was to be discharged ;
for was not the Nauvoo municipal court nearer
by forty miles than the court of the honorable Judge
Young at Quincy? and was not Smith himself the
Mayor of said city and presiding officer of its
court.

MORE HABEAS CORPUS WORK. ■ 211

Smith’s arrest was made on Thursday, the 23d
of June, and on Monday, the 27th, the cavalcade,
consisting of Wilson, Reynolds, and Smith ; Messrs.
Walker, Southwick, and Patrick, the counsel of
Smith ; McKay, employed by Reynolds to guard
Smith ; Sanger, the owner of the stage coach ; Mc-
Cornsey, the driver of one of the teams employed ;
Ross, driver of the coach; Mason, attorney for
Reynolds and Wilson; Wasson, the relative of
Smith’s wife, at whose house the arrest was made ;
Montgomery, son-in-law and travelling companion
with Walker; and Mr. Campbell, Sheriff of Lee
County, all started from Dixon southward in the
direction of Xauvoo and Quincy. Where were they
going, and what were they going for ? The officer
had in his pocket two writs of habeas corpus, di¬
recting him to convey the persons therein named,
one to Judge Young of Quincy, and the other to
the nearest authorized court in the Fifth Judicial
District, to hear and determine on habeas coipus.
It is not too severe a judgment to say that all four
of those legal gentlemen well knew that the place
where both those writs were properly returnable,
was Judge Young’s court at Quincy. Besides, in
a legal sense, it was necessary and proper that the
writ procured by Wilson and Reynolds should be
the first heard and determined. Instead, they
travelled directly to Xauvoo. The conclusion is

212

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

unavoidable, that when the second writ was obtained
by Smith, the purpose was to carry them to that
nondescript Nauvoo tribunal. We have the testi¬
mony of one of the attorneys to that effect. Mr.
Southwick said, in a communication to the Warsaw

“ No threat or intimidation was used by any per¬
son whatever, to induce Mr. Campbell, the Sheriff
of Lee County, to go to Nauvoo with Reynolds ;
and Mr. Campbell well knew before starting from
Dixon, that it was the determination of the whole
company to go to Nauvoo, he particularly consent¬
ing to the same. The stage was also chartered to
go to Nauvoo. Smith said before leaving Dixon,
that he should submit to the law, and appeared de¬
sirous to do so.”

“Smith pledged his word,” continued Mr. South¬
wick, “ previous to his arrival in Nauvoo, that
Reynolds should not be harmed ” ; and he was not.
He and Wilson were even invited to dine with the
prophet at his home, which they did, and were
introduced to his family.

Another writ of habeas corpus ! Says Southwick :

“In the afternoon of the day of said arrival, a
writ of habeas corpus was issued by the municipal
court of the city of Nauvoo, directed to Reynolds,
requiring him to bring before said court the body
of said Smith ; which he accordingly did, objecting,
however, to the same, that said court had no juris¬
diction in the case.”

Of course he objected ; the above, however,
contains one slight mistake : it was Smith that

MORE HABEAS COBPUS WORK.

213

brought Keynolds before the municipal court. The
report continues :

“The counsel of Smith, however, appeared to
entertain a different opinion as to the jurisdiction
of said court, and the examination was had before
them, and Smith discharged upon the merits of the
case, and upon the substantial defects in the war¬
rant.”

And this is what the “ opinion ” of those learned
counsel was based on — a clause in the Xauvoo
charter: “The municipal court shall have power
to grant writs of habeas corpus in all cases arising
under the ordinances of the city council. ”( ! )

When Smith was arrested, it so happened that
both Walker and Hoge, the candidates for Con¬
gress, were canvassing in the vicinity of Dixon.
In addition to the two Dixon attorneys, Smith sent
for Walker. This gentleman left his appointments,
and, as we have seen, rode with the cavalcade to
Xauvoo ; and it is said, there made a three-hour
speech in favor of Smith’s discharge. Governor
Ford’s history states that both he and Hoge, from the
public stand in that city, afterwards declared their
belief in the existence of the power claimed by the
municipal court.

Being thus signally baffled, the Missouri agent
applied to Governor Ford for a military force to
enable him to retake Smith ; and Mr. Walker, as
Smith’s attorney, repaired to Springfield to resist

214

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the application. After considerable delay, the Gov¬
ernor declined to grant Reynolds’s request, and the
matter was dropped.

Thus ended another move, and the last one, in
the interesting game of “ Demand and Discharge,”
which the executives of two great States had for
two or three years been playing.

While these legal proceedings were being enacted
up north, tremendous excitement existed at Nauvoo
and over Hancock County. As soon as possible
after the arrest, the news thereof had been sent to
the city by swift messenger, and hasty preparations
were made for their chiefs rescue. But it was not
known what route would be taken by the Missouri
officer with his prisoner. It was conjectured that
he might drive eastward, and take steamer at the
nearest point on the Illinois river, and so down to
St. Louis ; or that he might aim for a Mississippi
steamer at Rock Island ; or that they might take
a land route across the country. All these con¬
tingencies were provided for. A little steamer,
owned and employed at Nauvoo, was armed, it was
said, with a cannon or two, and manned, and sent
down the Mississippi, to intercept them in or at the
mouth of the Illinois. At the same time, squads of
armed horsemen were sent out on the various roads
leading toward Dixon. The delay, as we have
seen, at that place, gave time for numbers of these

MORE HABEAS CORPUS WORK.

215

horsemen to be a considerable distance on their
way north, before the party of prisoners and law¬
yers had left for Xauvoo ; and during the journey
down it was met by many of them, who turned and
escorted their chief back to the city.

These events occurred during the latter part of
June and the first days of July ; and it was some
time before Mr. Walker was free to resume his can¬
vass. His conduct, as well as that of Mr. Hoge, was
severely criticised. Many Whigs were highly indig¬
nant. It is believed that the prophet had intended,
in good faith, to throw the Mormon vote to Mr.
Walker ; but owing to the dissatisfaction of the Whigs
in part, and for the reason that Reynolds’s applica¬
tion for a force was still held in terrorum over him,
he had changed his policy. Ford himself states
that a friend of his, in his absence, and in his name,
had pledged to a Mormon emissary, that if they
would vote the Democratic ticket the force would
not be sent. — Hist. III., p. 317.

The Governor’s statement of what occurred at
Xauvoo in regard to the matter, so nearly accords
with what we learned at the time from other
sources, and it is doubtless true, that we give it in
his own words :

“A great meeting was called of several thousand
Mormons on Saturday before the election. Hyrum
Smith, patriarch in the church, and brother to the
prophet, appeared in this great assembly, and there

216

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

solemnly announced to the people that God had
revealed to him that the Mormons must support
Mr. Hoge, the Democratic candidate. William
Law, another great leader of the Mormons, next
appeared, and denied that the Lord had made any
such revelation. He stated that to his certain
knowledge, the prophet was in favor of Mr. Walker,
and that the prophet was more likely to know the
mind of the Lord on the subject than the patriarch.
Hyrum Smith again repeated his revelation with a
greater tone of authority. But the people remained
in doubt until the next day, being Sunday, when
Joe himself appeared before the assembly. He
there stated that “he, himself,” was in favor of Mr.
Walker, and intended to vote for him ; that he
would not influence any voter in giving his vote ;
that he considered it a mean business for him or any
other man to attempt to dictate to the people who
they should support in elections ; that he had heard
his brother Hyrum had received a revelation from
the Lord on the subject ; that for his part, he did
not much believe in revelations on the subject
of elections ; but brother Hyrum was a man of
truth ; he had known brother Hyrum intimately
ever since he was a boy, and he had never known
him to tell a lie. If brother Hyrum said he had
received such a revelation, he had no doubt it was
a fact. When the Lord speaks, let all the earth be
silent.”

The question was settled. It is believed that the
prophet, with Law and a few others, did vote for
Walker, in the face of the revelation ; but the body
of his followers voted for Hoge, giving him 2088
votes to Walker’s 733 in the county, and beating
him in the district 455 votes. The news of this
revelation at Nauvoo did not reach the adjoining

Mobe habeas cob pus wobk. 217

district below, till after the election ; and the Mor¬
mon vote there was thrown to O. H. Browning,
the Whig candidate. To Mr. Walker and his
friends and the Whig party generally, this result
was most aggravating ; more so from the fact, that
by a straightforward and independent course,
thereby securing a full and enthusiastic support
from his party, it was believed he could have been
elected with the Mormon vote solid against him.

218

THE PE OF MET OE PALM YEA.

CHAPTER XXm.

TWO WAYS OF TELLING A STORY.

Stoky of the Arrest of the Prophet, as Told by Two —

The Prophet’s Story— The Officer’s Story.

There is an adage that one story is good until
another is told. The widely differing stories told
concerning the arrest of the prophet, chronicled in
the preceding chapter, will each be believed by a
large number of people — the first, by the thousands
of faithful followers of the' prophet, who, like his
brother Hyrum, “ never told a lie”; and the other
by everybody else. If either be true, the arrest
must have been dramatic in the extreme. The
Times and Seasons of July 1, 1843, tells it thus in
behalf of the prophet :

“While he [Smith] was there [at his wife’s
sister’s residence, 12 miles from Dixon] a Mr. J.
H. Reynolds, Sheriff of Jackson County, Missouri
(so he says), and Mr. Harman Wilson of Carthage,
arrived at Dixon, professing to be Mormon preach¬
ers ; from thence they proceeded to Mr. Wasson’s,
at whose house Mr. Smith was staying. The}'
found Mr. Smith outside the door, and accosted
him in a very uncouth, ungentlemanly manner,
quite in keeping, however, with the common prac¬
tice of Missourians. The following is as near the
conversation as we can gather. Reynolds and his

TWO WAYS OF TELLING A STONY. 219

coadjutor Wilson, both stepped up at a time to Mr.
Smith, with their pistols cocked, and without show¬
ing any writ or serving any process, Mr. Reynolds,
with his pistol cocked at Mr. Smith’s breast, cried
out : ‘ G — d d — n you ! if you stir I’ll shoot ;
G — d d — n you ! be still or I’ll shoot, by G — d ! ’

‘ ‘ ‘ What is the meaning of this ? ’ interrupted
Mr. Smith.

“ ‘ I’ll show you the meaning, by G — d ! and if
you stir one inch I’ll shoot you, G — d d — n you !’

“‘I’m not afraid of your shooting,’ answered
Mr. Smith ; ‘ I am not afraid to die.’ He then
bared his breast and said : ‘ Shoot away ! I have
endured so much of oppression I am weary of life,
and kill me, if you please. I am a strong man,
however, and with my own natural weapons could
soon level both of you ; but if you have any legal
process to serve, I am at all times subject to law,
and shall not offer resistance.’

“‘G — d d — n you, if you say another word,
we’ll shoot you, by G — d ! ’

“ ‘ Shoot away ! ’ answered Mr. Smith, ‘ I’m not
afraid of your pistols.’

“ They then hurried him off to a carriage they
had, and without serving any process were for hur¬
rying him off without letting him see or bid fare¬
well to his family or friends. Mr. Smith then said :

“ ‘ Gentlemen, if you have any legal process, I
wish to obtain a writ of habeas corpus, ’ and was
answered :

“ ‘ G — d d — n you ! you shan’t have one.’

“ Mr. Smith saw a friend of his passing, and
said : ‘ These men are kidnapping me, and I want
a writ of habeas corpus to deliver myself out of
their hands.’

“ This friend immediately proceeded to Dixon,
whence the Sheriff also proceeded at full speed. On
ai-riving at the house of Mr. McKinnie, tavern-

*10 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

keeper, Mr. Smith was thrust into a room and
guarded there, without being allowed to see any¬
body, and horses were ordered in five minutes.
Mr. Smith then stated to Reynolds : ‘ I wish to get
counsel ; ’ and was answered : * G — d d — n you !
you shan’t have counsel ; one word more, G — d
d — n you, and I’ll shoot you.’

“ ‘ What is the use of this so often?’ said Mr.
Smith. ‘ I have often told you to shoot, and I
now tell you again, to shoot away ; ’ and seeing a
person passing, he said : • I am falsely imprisoned
here, and I want a lawyer.’

“ A lawyer came, but had the door banged in
his face, with the old threat of shooting, if he came
any nearer; another afterwards came, and received
the same treatment.

“Then the citizens of Dixon interfered, etc.”

Whether the editor of the Times and Seasons
drew upon his imagination for the foregoing or
had it from Smith himself, is not known. The
writer of these pages knew Mr. Wilson well
for many years, and believes the story told by
him to be substantially true, as heard more than
once from his own lips. He stated that he and
Reynolds drove in their carriage to the residence
of Mr. Wasson, alighted and hitched their team,
and stepping to the front door, inquired for Mr.
Smith. The answer was very unsatisfactory, but
that he was not there. They took seats, however
— Reynolds in the doorway, and Wilson on the
step outside — and entered into conversation. While
thus engaged, Wilson, who had a view of the stair--

TWO WAYS OF TELLING A STORY. 221

way, saw Emma, the prophet’s wife, whom he had
before known, hastily cross the hall at the head of
the stairs. This convinced him that- they were on
the right track. The conversation continued a
little longer ; but Wilson was becoming excited
and uneasy. Rising from his seat, he made a step
or two to the corner of the house, and casually
casting his eye along the side of the building, was
astonished to see the object of their search oft’ in
an open field two hundred yards away, running to¬
ward a piece of woods some distance off.

On the impulse of the moment, and without bid¬
ding good-lye to the household, or explaining to
Reynolds, he gave a whoop, and started in pursuit,
leaving his companion to bring up the rear. The
pursuers, being lighter and more nimble of foot,
gained upon the pursued. So he resorted to
strategy. He was nearing an old cabin, unin¬
habited, but at the side of which was a well, and
near by a lot of clothes spread over some tall grass
and weeds to dry. It was evident the flying chief¬
tain had been aiming for the forest beyond ; but on
arriving at the building, Wilson could nowhere see
the fugitive, lie certainly had not had time to
reach the timber, nor could he be seen anywhere
about the building. Giving a huri’ied glance at
the surroundings — taking in the cabin, the well,
the drying bed-clothes, etc. — an idea struck him,

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

and the next moment he saw a pair of boots pro¬
truding from beneath some bedding on the weeds.

By this time Reynolds was close at hand ; but
in his excitement, and without waiting to see if
there was a man in the boots, or who that man
might be, Wilson sprang upon the blanket and
called to Reynolds to come on. The man in the
boots soon emerged from his hiding place, and
stood before them as their prisoner, in great trepi¬
dation assuring them of his surrender. In due
time he was placed in their carriage and started on
their journey — a journey ludicrous in its beginning,
but disastrous to them in the end; and which, in¬
stead of landing their prisoner in Missouri, brought
them into a dismal swamp of habeas corpus , fin¬
ally standing them, conquered and abashed, before
the municipal court at Nauvoo.

A STOHM-CLOUD BISES.

CHAPTER XXIV.

A STORM-CLOUD RISES.

Quarrel Between the Chiefs — General Bennett’s De¬
fection-Charges and Denials— Bennett Accepts the
“ BUFFETINGS ” AND LEAVES — HlS LETTERS TO THE
Sangamo Journal — Testimonials Pro and Con.

During the summer of 1842, an ugly storm-
cloud burst upon the horizon of Xauvoo, which
threatened serious disaster. A quarrel sprung up
between the two great leaders, Generals Smith
and Bennett. The true inwardness of this quarrel
was never fully knowTn ; but there is good reason
for the opinion that it originated in jealousy. The
city at that time contained some five or six thousand
people, and was rapidly growing ; yet it was not
large enough for them both. Bennett had fast risen
into power and greatness through the ill-advised
generosity of the state government and the favor¬
itism of the Mormon people. He was excessively
vain and ambitious, and desired a greater share of
the honors and emoluments than the prophet was
willing to grant him. Immediately upon organ¬
izing under the charters, he had been given the two
best offices, next to the supreme one held by the
prophet himself. It is believed, further, that the

224

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

cause of the quarrel was not alone a jealousy of
each other’s power and influence ; but that a jealousy
resulting from quite another cause had much to do
with it. In fact, it is very evident from the pub¬
lished statements by both parties, that there was
a woman or two concerned. As they had been in
confidential and close intimacy before, they now
became vindictive and bitter enemies. But with
his usual luck, Smith held the reins of power. The
Lieutenant-General out-generaled the Major-Gen¬
eral with the masses, and the latter went down,
and was compelled to leave the city. He who had
so lately been basking in the sunshine of prosperity,
was expelled from the church — “ seceded,” he
called it — and deposed from the high places which
he had for so brief a period occupied. He left the
city, vowing a determination to expose the wrongs
and wickedness of Mormonism, and his intention
to bring the prophet to condign punishment ; de¬
claring, further, that he had never been a believer,
but had only joined them to acquaint himself with
their nefarious designs. On the other hand, Smith
and the church organs were not slow in denouncing
the apostate general. If the half were true that
these belligerent chiefs told of each other, they
both deserved the contempt of mankind. As a
general rule, and not to show partiality, the great
mass of the Gentile people believed them both.

A STORM-CLOUD RISES.

225

At the time of Bennett’s defection, several others
of the principal men manifested a rebellious spirit;
and it looked for a season as if there would be a
serious disruption. Of these, Sidney Rigdon, so
long the confidential counsellor of Smith, and
Orson Pratt, were the most prominent. And if
Bennett’s stories were true, each of these, with sev¬
eral others, had strong private reasons for entering
into the rebellion. But the power of the prophet
restrained them all, and Bennett alone was turned
over to the “ buffetings of Satan.” The fallen
chief at once left the city, and proceeded to Carthage,
the county seat, claiming that his life was in dan¬
ger — how truly we can only judge in the light of
subsequent events. He began a series of letters to
the Sangamo Journal at Springfield, carrying out
his purpose of exposure. These letters were widely
read and commented on. They were interesting
for many reasons. First : They exhibited in strong
light the character of Bennett himself. Second :
Whether he was worthy of full credence or not,
they portrayed the workings of that theocratic des¬
potism which prevailed at Xauvoo. And third :
The}r give us an idea of the sort of people he had
been associating with and upholding and defending ;
and of the motives which actuated him and them.
As literary productions they were weak, bombastic,
and in bad taste.

22G THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Bennett, through his letters to the Journal, and
the Mormons, through their organs, kept up for
several weeks a terrible tirade of abuse and so-
claimed exposure of villainies, ad nauseum. The
Times and Seasons of July 1, 1842, contains a long
article relating to the difficulty. It denounces
Bennett in severe terms, charging him with false¬
hood, debauchery, and many other crimes; and
publishes letters from abroad showing that his dis¬
reputable character was known to them more than
a year before. The Master of Nauvoo Lodge of
“ Free and Accepted York Masons,” publicly an¬
nounced that Bennett had “ palmed himself upon
the fraternity as a regular Mason in good stand¬
ing,” when he was an expelled Mason, and cau¬
tioned the fraternity against him. In the organ of
August 1st, may also be found a report of a meeting
called to give an expression of the public mind in
the matter of this grave quarrel. At this meeting,
General Wilson Law offered the following resolu¬
tion :

“ Resolved, That having heard that John C.
Bennett was circulating many base falsehoods re¬
specting a number of citizens of Nauvoo, and
especially against our worthy and respected Mayor,
Joseph Smith, we do hereby manifest to the world
that so far as we are acquainted with Joseph Smith,
we know him to be a good, moral, virtuous, peace¬
able and patriotic man, and a firm supporter of law,
justice and equal rights ; that he at all times up-

A STORM-CLOUD RISES.

227

holds and keeps inviolate the constitution of this
State and of the United States.”

Being put to vote, about a thousand, the report
says, voted in the affirmative ; but Orson Pratt and
two or three others, voted in the negative. This
temerity occasioned great surprise, and Mr. Pratt
was at once subjected to a categorical examina¬
tion by the prophet. His reasons for the vote are
withheld in the report, but he was pressed with the
following question :

“ Have you, personally, a knowledge of any
immoral act in me toward the female sex, or in any
other way ? ”

And Mr. Pratt answered : “ Personally, toward
the female sex, I have not.” Dr. Bennett’s charge
against Smith of making improper advances toward
Mrs. Pratt, was that they occurred in her husband’s
absence from the city. The resolution offered at
the meeting and which was passed so overwhelm¬
ingly, it will be observed, was presented by one of
the Laws, who soon afterwards engaged in another
insurrection, and reaffirmed all the charges and
more, that are therein denied.

The “ Ladies’ Belief Society ” also joined with a
paper, signed by one thousand ladies, attesting to
the “virtue, philanthropy and benevolence of Joseph
Smith.”

Thirteen members of the city council made
affidavit denying Bennett’s charges, and further

228

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

declaring that there was no such a thing as a Danite
Society in the city, within their knowledge. The
Times and Seasons for August 1st, also is largely
filled with the story of Bennett’s character ; and to
these issues of that organ and to the Sangamo
Journal at Springfield, during that interesting
period, w« refer the reader for the whole history of
the war between the two doughty generals of the
Nauvoo Legion.

Bennett, in his letters, made free use of the
names of men high in authority in the city, to cor¬
roborate his statements, evidently expecting to
draw them off. But he failed ; most of them con¬
troverted his stories through the organ. Some of
these denials are carefully worded, and when closely
examined are found to be partly denial and partly,
evasion. Others are more direct, and embrace
points which a year or so afterwards were as vehe¬
mently charged by themselves.

Among charges brought by Bennett against the
prophet, was one of the attempted seduction of a
buxom young English girl, who with her, parents
had not long before embraced the faith and emi¬
grated to the city. This girl (Miss Martha Broth-
erton) corroborated Bennett’s charges in a pub¬
lished letter, giving circumstances in detail.
Whether their story was true or not, it is known
that the girl and her parents — people of standing

A STORM-CLOUD RISES.

229

and means — left the city, and, it is believed, re¬
turned to England.

An apology may seem to be necessary for occu¬
pying so much space with the quarrel between
these two men. But let it be remembered that Dr.
Bennett was for more than a year the second man
in position in the city, and a bright light in the
church, and that he had during that time the seem¬
ing confidence of Smith and his followers ; and
more, that he was an appointee of the Governor of
the State and of a Judge of the Supreme Court, to
responsible offices. That he was a weak man and
a knave, his own conduct and expose abundantly
prove. How far the charges and criminations
against each other are to be accepted by an honest
public, we prefer to leave for the discerning reader
to decide.

Dr. Bennett’s book, entitled The History of the
Saints ; an Expose of Joe Smith and Mormonism,
issued soon after his defection and fall, contains
this in its opening chapter :

‘ ‘ I find that it is almost universally the opinion
of those who have heard of me in the eastern part
of the United States, that I united myself to the
Mormons from a conviction of the truth of their
doctrines, and that I was, at least for some time, a
convert to their pretended religion. This, however,
is a very great error. I never believed in them or
their doctrines

But he claimed that he joined them in order to

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

ascertain the truth about their objects and de¬
signs, and to expose them. And he adds that there
was in existence among them a deep-laid scheme to
conquer the five States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, and Iowa, for a military and religious
empire, over which Joe Smith was to rule as Em¬
peror and Pope, and Prophet of the Lord. This
is all folly; Dr. Bennett found no such scheme
among them. Who can be made to accept the
story that the Mormon prophet would limit himself
to those five insignificant States for his rule ? Did
he not proclaim that the ‘ ‘ whole earth ” was to be
brought, and the possessions of all the Gentiles
therein, under the sway of the Saints for an inher¬
itance? However true many of Bennett’s charges
against the Mormons and their leaders maybe, and
we are forced to believe that many of them are true,
we must be excused from accepting that story.

But Dr. Bennett’s book is a curiosity in itself.
It abounds in egotism and bombast, indicative of
the character of its author ; yet he brings together
an array of specifications and charges against
the prophet and the leaders, which, corroborated and
sustained by many well-known facts and circum¬
stances, render it difficult to reject ; and had it not
been for the questionable position he occupied, and
his vain-glorious manner throughout, his expose
would have been much more effective.

A STORM-CLOUD RISES.

231

lie1 evidently failed in drawing off from the sup¬
port of the prophet, a number of prominent men,
who were disaffected and manifesting a rebellious
spirit, but who afterwards followed him, reiterating
most of his charges and statements. Had they
openly declared themselves as he did, and when he
did, the prophet would have had a formidable rebel¬
lion on his hands, that he might not have been able
to subdue.

232

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXY.

A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.

For President of the United States, Gen. Joseph Smith,
of Nauvoo, Illinois ; For Vice-President, Sidney Rig-
don, of Pennsylvania.

Among the many methods adopted by the Mormon
prophet for obtaining notoriety, was that of causing
himself to be proclaimed a candidate for President
of the United States. In the memorable campaign
of 1840, such of the Mormons as had acquired cit¬
izenship in Illinois, had supported Harrison and
Tyler. General Harrison had now gone to his rest
and Tyler was near the close of his accidental term.
All parties were discussing presidential probabili¬
ties. Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun were re¬
garded as prominent candidates of their respective
parties ; to each of these the prophet had addressed
a long letter, requesting to be informed as to the
policy he would pursue if elected, in relation to
Mormon grievances. Unsatisfactory replies had
been received from each of those statesmen, and
commented upon in Smith’s organ. On the 15th
of February, 1844, said organ, under the editorial
charge of John Taylor, a lately imported English
recruit, printed a long leader on the question :

A P liE SIDE N TIA L CANDIDATE

233

“ Who shall be our next President?” After dis¬
cussing the merits of the respective candidates from
a Mormon standpoint, and finding them all wanting,
the editor says :

“ Under these circumstances, the question again
arises, who shall we support? General Joseph
Smith ! A man of sterling worth and integrity and
of enlarged views ; a man who has raised himself
from the humblest walks in life to stand at the head
of a large, intelligent, respectable, and increasing
society, that has spread not only in this land, but
in distant nations ; a man whose talents and genius
are of an exalted nature, and whose experience has
rendered him every way adequate to the onerous
duty. Honorable, fearless and energetic ; he would
administer justice with an impartial hand, and mag¬
nify and dignify the office of chief magistrate of
this land ; and we feel assured there is not a man
in the United States more competent for the
task.” ( ! ! )

And after several more paragraphs, our editor
concludes :

‘ ‘ Whatever therefore be the opinions of other
men, our course is marked out, and our motto from
henceforth will be GENERAL JOSEPH SMITH.”

And the next issue of the Times and /Seasons
contained the announcement :

“ For President,

“General Joseph Smith, Xauvoo, Illinois”;
and subsequent issues contained in addition :

“ For Vice-President,

“Sidney Rigdon, of Pennsylvania.”

234 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

This ticket stood till Mr. Smith was killed, on
June 27th, the same year. We have not learned
that any effort was ever made to form an Electoral
ticket in Illinois or any other State. Had he lived,
and such ticket had been formed, he would have
obtained some votes most probably in several of
the States of the Union, under the full faith that
he would be elected.

But how it was that Joseph Smith became a citi¬
zen of Illinois, and Sidney Rigdon a citizen of
Pennsylvania, when they both had resided at
Nauvoo for several years with their families — both
coming here the same year from Missouri, and to
Missouri from Ohio at the same time — was one of
the many Mormon problems.

AN IMPENDING ClilSIS.

CHAPTER XXVI.

AN IMPENDING CRISIS.

Rumblings of a Volcano — A Secession Organized— An Op¬
position Church— A Newspaper “ Nuisance” Abated.

The conduct of politicians and political parties
during the campaign of 1843, gave a new impulse
to the anti-Mormon sentiment, and measures to pre¬
vent its recurrence began to be taken. The late
election fully developed the fact, that, although
two or three good men had been chosen to office —
men not objectionable to the great body of the
people — practically the whole county and district
were at the beck of the prophet. Four of the
county officers were Mormons, and one of them
was not even a resident of the county, but held a
similar office at the time in a distant county ; but
having joined the church was intending to settle
in Nauvoo.* An effort to reorganize the Anti-
Mormon party was determined on, and a mass con¬
vention was held at the county seat on the 7th of
September, at which preliminary measures were

* James Adams, when elected Probate Judge in Hancock,
was residing in Springfield, and holding the same office in
Sangamon County.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

taken. Among the resolutions passed was one
which, in view of past events, was impolitic, and
should have been omitted — requesting the Gov¬
ernor of Missouri to make another demand for
Smith, and pledging aid in the execution of the
writ.

In the mean time, frequent difficulties were oc¬
curring between the Gentiles and Mormons over the
county and at Nauvoo, which kept alive the excite¬
ment. Numerous acts of tyranny were perpetrated
by the prophet on citizens of the county, and even
on his own followers ; and heavy fines were inflicted,
at his instance, for no punishable offense, by the
municipal court, or by himself as mayor or pre¬
siding officer of the court. If he committed an of¬
fense against an individual which rendered him
liable, he had invented an easy way of escape —
which was to procure an arrest by some of his
tools, have an ex-parte hearing, and get discharged ;
then, when an officer called upon him with an
honest writ, he was coolly informed that he was too
late.

General Bennett’s expose referred to several of
the prominent leaders by name, as being disaffected
and having good cause for their rebellious attitude.
These never afterwards became heartily reconciled,
though they refused to “ come out,” when so
strongly urged by the General. They were not

AN IMPENDING CBISIS.

237

ready, but would bide their time. Some of these
were Sidney Eigdon, Bishop Marks, George W.
Eobinson, Wilson and William Law, Dr. Eobert
D. and Charles A. Foster, and Francis M. and
Chauncey L. Higbee, and a number of others of
lesser note and position in the church. To these
may be added Sylvester Emmans, an attorney at
law and a member of the city council, who was not
a church member. None of these had ever been
fully restored in the prophet’s confidence since the
secession of the Major-General ; and the breach
was daily widening. Dr. Foster had been elected
school commissioner of the county by Mormon
votes, probably as a means of keeping him loyal
and quiet.

During the winter and spring of 1844, the breach
had widened to the extent of organizing a new
church, and one was instituted in April or May,
with William Law as its President; but he dis¬
claimed any prophetic attainments or privileges.
It was also decided to establish a new paper in the
city as their organ, and with it to fight the
prophet. Accordingly, in May a printing press and
materials arrived by steamer from St. Louis, and
were landed and hauled into the city and set up
without molestation. Of course these events caused
great excitement, not only in the city among the
faithful but over the whole country. Evidently a

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

crisis was approaching. The lion was being bearded
in his very den. His own cubs were growling de¬
fiance.

In the mean time the habeas corpus — the great
safeguard of liberty everywhere else, but at Nauvoo
the great engine of despotic power — was not in¬
active. In May, Mr. Francis M. Higbee, one of the
seceders, commenced against the prophet a civil
action for slander, in the Hancock circuit court,
on which, in accordance with usage, a capias was
issued. On this being served by the Sheriff, in¬
stead of entering bail for his appearance, Smith
obtained a writ of habeas corpus from the city court
and was set at liberty. About the same time, one
Jeremiah Smith, an Iowa defaulter to the United
States government, fled to the city for protection ;
was arrested there by a United States Marshal,
and twice released by the habeas corpus — the court
rendering a judgment for costs against the United
States !

The May term of the Hancock circuit court
commenced its session at Carthage on the 20th,
Hon. Jesse B. Thomas presiding. At this term,
four cases were on docket against the prophet, and
were disposed of as follows :

Alexander Sympson — For false imprisonment :
change of venue to Adams County.

AN IMPENDING CIUSIS.

23D

Francis M. Higbee — For slander : change to the
County of McDonough.

Charles A. Foster — False imprisonment : to the
Count}" of McDonough.

Amos Davis — For tx-espass : to McDonough
County.

These were all civil actions. At the same term,
two indictments were found against Smith by the
grand jury — one for adultery, and one for perjury.
To the surprise of all, on the Monday following
these presentments, the prophet appeai-ed in coui-t
and demanded trial on the last-named indictment.
The prosecution not being ready, a continuance
was taken to the next term.

In the mean time the seceders were not idle.
President Law boldly denounced the prophet from
the platform in the city ; while the others were
busy among the people in and out of the city. The
prospectus for the new paper was extensively cir¬
culated, and received with much encouragement.
Its title was to be the JNauvoo Expositor, and
its purposes as set forth in the pi'ospectus wei*e :

“The unconditional repeal of the city chaider ;
to correct the abuses of the unit power ; to advo¬
cate disobedience to political revelations.”

In short, its purpose was to oppose the prophet
Smith, and reform the abuses of which he was
claimed to be the author.

210

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

The paper was issued under date of June 7,
1844. It had for its editor Sylvester Emmans,
and the names of William Law, Wilson Law,
Charles Ivins, Francis M. Higbee, Chauncey L.
Higbee, Robert D. Foster, and Charles A. Foster,
as its publishers. In a literary point of view, it
exhibited little talent. It had evidently been pre¬
pared in a hurry and under excitement, and with
no attempt at artistic arrangement. About half of
its reading matter was made up from miscellaneous
selections. Of its original contents, five or six
columns were occupied with a “ Preamble, Resolu¬
tions, and Affidavits of the Seceders from the
Church at Xauvoo” ; giving reasons for their action,
and making charges against the prophet and his
adherents. A number of editorial articles followed,
mostly of the same purport, couched in strong
language, but not remarkable for ability or point.

As we have seen, the professed aim and purpose
of this sheet were to expose the enormities prac¬
ticed by the prophet and his followers at Nauvoo.
And from the statements and proofs adduced, and
from corroborative facts — making all due allow¬
ance for exaggeration, and vindictive feeling — we
are compelled to accept many of them as true.
Yet, it is painful to remember that while they were
showing Joseph Smith- to have been a desperately
bad man, they were — to put it in as mild a way as

AN IMPENDING C1USIS. 241

possible — adding little to their own characters ; in¬
asmuch as for years they had been his supporters
and defenders, and (having been in his confidence)
must have known long before what his true char¬
acter was, and that all his pretensions to religion
and sanctity were false. And it will be remem¬
bered, too, that when Dr. Bennett revolted, but a
short period before, and made the same or similar
charges, all, or most of these men made public
contradiction of them.

Sidney Bigdon, who, taking their statements
with Bennett’s to be true, had as much cause as
any one to come out and denounce their chief,
still refused — until after the prophet’s death, when
Brigham Young and the Twrelve had thrown him
overboard. Did Kigdon know of Smith’s villainies,
after fourteen years’ association with him ? These
seceders all gave countenance to one Joseph H.
Jackson, in his exposures — a new-comer, who, as
he says, had only been in Smith’s confidence a
little time ; and Jackson published a pamphlet
stating that the prophet had confided to him that
he was a counterfeiter, an adulterer, an instigator
of murder (as in the case of Governor Boggs), and
that the Book of Mormon and the Golden Plates
were frauds. This Jackson may have been a fraud
and a falsifier himself ; it is true that his statements,
excepting wherein corroborated, did not gain full

242

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

credence. Yet many of them coincided with those
of the seceders. And is it likely that Jackson in
a few months would be able to gain more of the
prophet’s confidence, than would these in several
years’ intimacy?

The life of the Expositor was a short one. This first
issue was Us final one. It was issued on Friday,
the 7th of June, and on Saturday the 8th, the city
council was in session considering what should be
done. They deliberated all that day and all day
Monday, and at six o’clock in the evening passed a
resolution declaring the Expositor a nuisance, and
instructing the Mayor to cause it to be abated — .
which he did about eight o’clock the same evening.

An extra of the Nauvoo Neighbor, the weekly
organ, containing a certified copy of the proceed¬
ings of the council on those two days, now lies be¬
fore us. It is due to them that their side of the
controversy should be given ; and this extra fully
and at great length sets forth the reasons for their
action. Besides, it should be preserved for all time
to come as a curiosity, and as illustrating to future
law-makers the nature of a nuisance, and the proper
mode of treating it. It will be found entire in the
next chapter.

It was stated by Gentiles who were present dur¬
ing the deliberations of the council, that the
brothers, Hyrum and Joseph Smith, were at times

AN IMPENDING CRISIS.

243

greatly excited, and indulged in violent language.
The latter was reported to have vehemently ex-
exclaimed : “If you will not stick by me, and
wade to your knees in blood for my sake, you may
go to h — 11 and be d — d; and I will go and build
another city ! ” Hyrum was reported to have said :
“We had better send a message to long-nosed Sharp
[editor of the Warsaw Signal'] that if he does not
look out, he might be visited with a pinch of snuff
that will make him sneeze ! ” And he continued : “ If
any person will go to Warsaw boldly, in daylight,
and break the press of the Signal office with a
sledge-hammer, I will bear him out in it, if it
costs me a farm. He could only be taken with a
warrant at any rate, and what good would that do ? ”
In view of habeas corpus, that was a significant
question.

Of course such language would not be reported
in the organ. It is proper to state, however, that
Hyrum and his friends made emphatic denial of
having made threats against the Signal or its editor.

The report in the extra is to be taken as con¬
clusive of the reasons for the destruction of the
pre»s. When analyzed, they resolve themselves
into these half-dozen propositions.

1 . Sylvester Emmans was poor when he came to
the city, with only two shirts to his back.

244

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

2. The Laws oppi’essed the poor, by adhering to
their rules in grinding grain.

3. Besides, they had dunned the prophet for
money due them.

4. Dr. Foster had been too intimate with a sister
in Ohio — and he had written the Mayor a saucy
letter.

5. Wilson Law had seduced another sister, and —

6. They had all misrepresented the spiritual wife
doctrine.

And these six counts, with several more of minor
importance, amounted to treason against the inde¬
pendent sovereignty of Nauvoo, and the head there¬
of, and rendered the printing press of the traitors
a nuisance, and it must be destroyed ! Even in
this the Mayor transcended the authority given him
by the council. The resolution instructed him to
abate the nuisance by removal; he issued his order
to the City Marshal to destroy the press and pi the
types in the street , and if necessary demolish the
house, and arrest all who oroosed.

GIVING THE REASON WHY.

245

CHAPTER XXVH.

GIVING THE REASON WHY.

A Strange Document — Reciting Proceedings of the
Nauvoo City Council Regarding the “Expositor”
N uis ance — Official.

The document which follows is a verbatim copy
of a half-sheet extra which was issued from the
office of the Nauvoo Neighbor soon after the de¬
struction of the Expositor office. It is given entire,
Editorials, Mayor’s Proclamation, Clerk’s State¬
ment and all, as showing their side of the question
and their reasons for the course pursued. It is
valuable, too, as showing to the Gentile world what
kind of people these Latter-Day Saints were, thus
congregated together in the holy city :

NAUVOO NEIGHBOR EXTRA.

[Editorial.]

TO THE PUBLIC.

“As a soft breeze in a hot day mellows the air,
so does the simple truth calm the feelings of the
irritated, and so we proceed to give the proceed¬
ings of the city council relating to the removal of
the Nauvoo Expositor as a nuisance. We have

246

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

been robbed, mobbed and plundered with impunity
some two or three times, and as every heart is
more apt to knpw its own sorrows, the people of
Nauvoo had ample reason, when such characters as
the proprietors and abettors of the Nauvoo Expos¬
itor proved to be before the city council, to be
alarmed for their safety. The men who got up the
press were constantly engaged in resisting the au¬
thority or threatening something. If they were
fined an appeal was taken, but the slander went on ;
and when the paper came, the course and the plan
to destroy the city was marked out. The destruc¬
tion of the city charter and the ruin of the Saints
was the all-commanding topic. Our lives, our city,
our charter, and our characters are just as sacred,
just as dear, and just as good as other people’s ;
and while no friendly arm has been extended from
the demolition of our press in Jackson County,
Missouri, without law, to this present day, the
city council, with all the law of nuisance, from
Blackstone down to the Springfield city charter,
knowing that if they exceeded the law of the land,
a higher court would regulate the proceedings,
abated the Nauvoo Expositor.

The proceedings of the council show, as sketched,
that there was cause of alarm. The people when
they reflect will at once say that the feelings and
rights of men ought to be respected. All persons
otherwise, and without recourse to justice, mercy,
or humanity, to come out with inflammatory pub¬
lications, destructive resolutions, or moi'e especially
extermination, shows a want of respect and a want
of religious toleration, that honorable men will
deprecate among Americans, as they would the
pestilence, famine, or the horrors of war. It can¬
not be that the people are so lost to virtue as to
coolly go to murdering men, women, and children.
No. Candor and common sense forbid it.”

GIVING THE REASON WHY. 247

Clerk’s Statement.

For the Neighbor.

“ Mr. Editor : In your last week’s paper I pro¬
posed giving your readers an account of the pro¬
ceedings of the city council, but time forbids
anything more than a brief synopsis of the proceed¬
ings of the municipality of the city of Nauvoo,
relative to the destruction of the press, and fixtures
of the Nauvoo Expositor.

“ CITY COUNCIL, REGULAR SESSION.

“ June 8, 1884.

“ In connexion with other business, as stated in
last week’s paper, the Mayor remarked that he be¬
lieved it generally the case, that when a man goes
to law he has an unjust cause, and wants to go
before some one who wants business, and that he
had very few cases on his docket ; and referring
to Councillor Emmons, editor of the Nauvoo Ex¬
positor , suggested the propriety of first purging
the city council ; and referring to the character of
the paper and proprietors, called up Theodore
Turley, a mechanic, who, being svyorn, said that
the Laws (Mini, and Wilson) had brought bogus
dies to him to fix.

“ Councillor Hyrum Smith inquired what good
Foster and his brother, and the Higbees, and the
Laws had ever done ; while his brother Joseph was
under arrest, from the Missouri persecution, the
Laws and Foster would have been rode on a rail,
if he had not stepped forward to prevent it, on
account of their oppressing the poor.

“ Mayor said, while he was under arrest by writ
from Governor Carlin, Wm. Law, pursued him for
$40 he was owing Law, and it took the last expense
money he had to pay it.

“ Councillor H. Smith, referred to J. H. Jack-

248

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

son’s coming to this city, &e. Mayor said, Wm.
Law, had offered Jackson, $500 to kill him.

“Councillor, H. Smith, continued, Jackson, told
him, he (Jackson,) meant to have his daughter;
and threatened him if he made any resistance.
Jackson, related to him a dream ; that Joseph and
Hyrum were opposed to him, but that he would
execute his purposes ; that Jackson, had laid a plan
with four or five persons to kidnap his daughter,
and threatened to shoot any one that should come
near, after he had got her in the skiff ; That Jackson,
was engaged in trying to make Bogus, which was his
principal business, — referred to the revelation, read
to the high council of the church, which has caused
so much talk about a multiplicity of wives ; that said
Revelation was in answer to a question concerning
things which transpired in former days, and had no
reference to the present time. That when sick,
Wm. Law, confessed to him that he had been
‘ guilty of adultery,’ and ‘ was not fit to live,’ and
had ‘ sinned against his own soul,’ &c. , and inquired,
who was Judge Emmons? When he came here
he had scarce two shirts ?o his back, but he had
been dandled by the authorities of the city, &c.
and was now editor of the “ Nauvoo Expositor,” and
his right hand man Francis M. Higbee, who had
confessed to him that he had * *.

“Washington Peck, sworn, said soon after Jo¬
seph H. Jackson came here, he came to witness to
borrow money, which witness loaned him, and took
some jewelry as security. Soon after a man from
across the river came after the jewelry, — Jackson,
had stolen the jewelry from him. At another time
wanted to get money of witness, asked witness if
he would do anything dishonorable to get a living.
Witness said he would not. Jackson said witness
was a damned fool, for he could get a living a deal
easier than he was then doing by making Bogus,

GIVING , THE SEASON WHY

and some men high in the church was engaged in
the business. Witness asked if it was Joseph. No
said Jackson, I dare not tell it to Joseph. Witness
understood him, the Laws was engaged in it.
Jackson said he would he the death of witness,
if he ever went to Joseph or any one else to tell
what he had said.

“ Ordered by the council that, Sylvester Em¬
mons, he suspended until his case could he in¬
vestigated for slandering the city council, that
the recorder notify him of his suspension, and that
his case would come up for investigation at the next
regular session of the council. [The order is in the
hands of the marshal.]

“ Councillor J. Taylor said that Councillor Em¬
mons helped to make the ordinances of the city,
and had never lifted his voice against them in the
council, and was now trying to destroy the ordi¬
nances and the charter.

“ Lorenzo Wasson, sworn, said Joseph H. Jack-
son, told witness, that Bogus making was going on
in the city ; — hut it was too damned small business.
Wanted witness to help him to procure money, for
the general, (Smith,) was afraid to go into it, and
with $500 he could get an engraving for hills on
the hank of Missouri, and one on the state of New
York, and could make money, — said many times
witness did not know him ; — believed the general
had been telling witness something. God damn
him if he has I will kill him, — swore he would kill
any man that should prove a traitor to him. Jack-
son said if he could get a company of men to suit
him, he would go into the frontiers and live by high¬
way robbery, had got sick of the world.

“ Mayor suggested that the council pass an ordi¬
nance to prevent misrepresentation and libellous
publications, and conspiracies against the peace of
the city ; and referring to the reports that Dr. Fos-

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

ter had set afloat, said he had never made any pro¬
posals to Foster to come back to the church. Foster
proposed to come back ; came to Mayor’s house and
wanted a private interview ; had some conversation
with Foster in the hall, in presence of several gen¬
tlemen, on the 7th inst. ; offered to meet him and
have an interview in presence of friends, three or
four to be selected by each party — which Foster
agreed to ; and went to bring his friends for the
interview, and the next notice he had of him was
the following letter :

11 June 7th, 1844.

“ To Gen. J. Smith:

“ Sir : — I have consulted my friends in relation to
your proposals of settlements, and they as well as
myself are of the opinion that your conduct and
that of your unworthy, unprincipled clan is so base
that it would be morally wrong and detract from
the dignity of gentlemen to hold any conference
with you. The repeated insults and abuses, I as
well as my friends have suffered from your unlaw¬
ful course towards us demands honorable resent¬
ment. We are resolved to make this our motto ;
nothing on our part has been done to provoke your
anger but have done all things as become men.
You have trampled upon every thing Ave hold dear
and sacred, you have set all. law at defiance and
profaned the name of the most high to carry out
your damnable purposes — and I have nothing more
to fear from you than you have already threatened.
And I as well as my friends will stay here and
maintain and magnify the law as long as Ave stay —
and we are resolved never to leave until we sell or
exchange our property that we have here. The
proposals made by your agent Dimick Huntington
as well as the threats you sent to intimidate me, I
disdain and despise as I do their unhallowed author.
The right of my family and my friends, demand at

GIVING THE REASON WHY.

251

my hand a refusal of all your offers ; we are united
in virtue and truth, and we set hell at defiance and
all her agents adieu. B. D. FOSTEE.

“ To General J. Smith.

“ Mayor continued : — And when Foster left his
house, he went to a shoe shop on the hill and re¬
ported, that ‘ Joseph said to him if he would come
back he would give him Law’s place in the church,
and a hat full of specie.’

“Lucian Woodworth, sworn, said that the con¬
versation as stated by the Mayor was correct ; was
at the Mansion June 7th when Dr. Foster rode up
and inquired if General Smith was at home — Dr.
Foster went into the house — witness followed, Dr.
Foster was there, the General and others looking
at some specimens of penmanship, something was
said respecting a conversation at that time, between
the General and Dr. ; General Smith observed to
Foster, if he had a conversation he would want
others present. The doctor said he would have a
word with him by himself ; and went into the Hall.
Witness went to the door, that he might see and
hear what was passing. They still continued to
talk on the subject of a conversation that they
might have afterwards with others present, whom
Mr. Smith might choose and Foster might choose.
Foster left, and went for them that he said he
wanted present, and would return soon with them
— thinks he heard all the conversation, heard noth¬
ing about General Smith’s making any offers to Fos¬
ter to settle, was present all the time. Dimick
Huntington said he had seen Foster and talked with
him.

‘ ‘ Mayor said he wished it distinctly understood
that he knew nothing about Dimick Huntington
going to see Foster.

“ Woodworth said he sent Dimick Huntington
to Foster, and Joseph knew nothing about it.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ Counsellor H. Smith said Dimick Huntington
came to him on the 7th inst. and said he had had
an interview with Dr. Foster, and thought he was
about ready to come back, and a word from him to
Joseph would bring it about.

“ Mayor said, the conduct of such men, and such
papers are calculated to destroy the peace of the
city ; and it is not safe that such things should exist,
on account of the mob spirit which they tend to
produce ; he had made the statements he had, and
called the witnesses to prepare the council to act in
the case.

“ Emmons was blackguarded out of Philadelphia,
and dubbed with the title of judge (as he had under¬
stood from citizens of Philadelphia) was poor, and
Mayor helped him to cloth for a coat before he
went away last fall, and he labored all winter to
get the post office from Mr. Rigdon (as informed).

“ Mayor referred to a writing from Dr. Goforth,
showing that the Laws presented the communication
from the ‘ Female Relief Society ’ in the Nauvoo
Neighbor, to Dr. Goforth, as the hone of contention,
and said, if God ever spake by any man, it will
not be five years before this city is in ashes and we
in our graves, unless we go to Oregon, California,
or some other place, if the city does not put down
every thing which tends to mobocracy, and put
down their murderers, bogus makers and scoundrels ;
all the sorrow he ever had in his family has arisen
through the influence ofWm. Law.

“ C. H. Smith spoke in relation to the Laws,
Fosters, Higbees, Editor of the Signal, &c., and of
the importance of suppressing that spirit which has
driven us from Missouri &c., that he would go in
for an effective ordinance.

“Mayor said, at the time Governor Carlin was
pursuing him with his writs, Win. Law came to his
house with a band of Missourians for the purpose

GIVING THE SEASON WHY.

of betraying him. Came to his gate, and was pre¬
vented by Daniel Cairns, who was set to watch ; Law
came within his gate, and called Mayor, and the
Mayor reproved Law for coming at that time of
night, with a company of strangers.

“ Daniel Cairns, sworn, said that about 10 o’clock
at night, a boat came up the river with about a
dozen men. Wm. Law came to the gate with them,
witness on guard. Stopped them. Law called
Joseph to the door, and wanted an interview.
Joseph said, Bro. Law you know better than to
come here at this hour of the night, and Law re¬
tired — next morning Law wrote a letter to apolo¬
gize, which witness heard read — which was written
apparently to screen himself from the censure of a
conspiracy and the letter betrayed a conspiracy on
the lace of it.

“Adjourned at half past 6 p. m., till Monday
10th at 10 o’clock a. m. Adjourned session June
10th, 10 o’clock, a. m. Alderman Harris pre¬
siding.

“ Mayor, referred to Dr. Foster — and again read
his letter of the 7th inst. (as before quoted).

“ Cyrus Hills, a stranger sworn : said one day last
week, believed it Wednesday, a gentleman, whom
witness did not know came into the sitting room of
the ‘ Nauvoo Mansion,’ and requested the Hon.
Mayor to step aside — he wanted to speak with him.
Mayor stepped through the door into the entiy, by
the foot of the stairs, and the General (Mayor)
asked him what he wished? Foster (as witness
learned since the gentleman’s name) , said he wanted
some conversation on some business witness did
not understand at the time ; the General refused to go
any farther, and said he would have no conversa¬
tion in private, what should be said should be in
public ; and told Foster if he would choose three
or four men, he would meet him with the same num-

254

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

ber of men (among whom was his brother Hyrum),
and they would have a cool and calm investigation
of the subject, and by his making a proper satis¬
faction, things should be honorably adjusted. Wit¬
ness judged from the manner in which Foster ex¬
pressed himself that he agreed to the Mayor’s
proposals, and would meet him the same day, in
presence of friends ; heard no proposals made by
Mayor to Foster for settlement, heard nothing about
any offers of dollars, or money, or an}*- other offer
except those mentioned before ; nothing said about
Wm. Law ; was within hearing of the parties at the
time conversation was going on.

“ O. P. Rockwell, sworn. Some day last week,
said Dr. Foster rode up to the Nauvoo Mansion
and went in, witness went in and found the Mayor
and Dr. Foster in conversation. General Smith
was naming the men he would have present, among
whom was Hyrum Smith, Wm. Marks, Lucian
Woodworth, and Peter Hawes, and Dr. Foster had
leave to call an equal number of his friends, as
witness understood, for the purpose of having an
interview on some matters in conversation.

“The doctor’s brother was proposed. General said
he had no objections, wanted him present. Dr. Fos¬
ter started, saying he would be back shortly. Before
Dr. F. left, the men whom General Smith had
named to be present at the conversation were sent for.
Cross-examined : witness went into the house as
Mayor and Dr. Foster were coming out of the Bar
Room into the Hall ; nothing said by the Mayor to
Dr. Foster about his coming back, — made no offer
to Foster about a settlement.

“ Mayor said the first thing that occurred when he
stepped into the hall with Foster was that he wanted
to assassinate him ; he saw something shining be¬
low his vest ; Mayor put his finger on it and said,
what is that ? Foster replied it is my pistol, and

GIVING THE REASON WHY.

255

immediately took out the pistol, and showed it
openly, and wanted the Mayor to go with him alone.
Mayor said he would not go alone, Mayor never
saw the pistol before ; had a hook on its side, to
hang on his waist-coat.

“Andrew L. Lamaraux, sworn, said that in 1839
or 40 while President Joseph Smith, Elder Rigdon,
Judge Higbee, O. P. Rockwell and Dr. R. D. Fos¬
ter, on their wav to Washington, called at witness’s
house in Dayton, Ohio, that the evening was spent
very agreeably except some dissatisfaction on the
part of certain females with regard to the conduct
of Dr. Foster. On their return from Washington wit¬
ness informed President Smith of Foster’s conduct.
President Smith said he had frequently reproved
Foster for such conduct and he had promised to do
better, and told witness to reprove Foster if he saw
anything out of the way. That evening Foster
refused to join the company, and walked through
the town till about 8 o’clock when he came in and
interrupted President Smith, who was expounding
some passages of scriptures, and changed the conver¬
sation. Soon after the company was invited to Mr.
Brown’s at the next door, whither they all repaired.
While at Mr. Brown’s, conversation going on, and
the room much crowded, Dr. Foster and one of the
ladies he had paid so much attention to before took
their seats in one corner of the room. Witness
heard her state to Dr. Foster that she supposed she
had been enciente for some time back, but had been
disappointed, and supposed it was on account of her
weakness, and wanted Foster to prescribe something
for her. Foster said he could do it for her, and
dropped his hand to her feet, and began to raise it,
she gave him a slight push and threw herself close
to the wall.

“ He laid his hand on her knee, and whispered
so low that witness could not hear. Next morning

256

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

witness went in while Foster and others were at
breakfast and related what he had seen. Foster
denied it. President Smith told him not to deny
it for he saw it himself and was ashamed of it.
Foster confessed it was true, and promised to reform.

“Peter Hawes sworn — Said that he came to
Nauvoo before the Laws and brought considerable
property ; it was a short time after the church had
been driven out of Missouri and had arrived in this
place. The families having been robbed of all in Mis¬
souri were in a starving condition. By the coun¬
sel of the Presidency, witness converted his funds
to feeding the poor, bringing in meat and flour, &c.,
and while thus engaged drew upon the Laws, who
were at that time engaged in merchandise to the
amount of some six hundred dollars, which, on
account of expenditure for the poor, he was not
able to pay, to within some 70 or 80 dollars —
which they pressed him for as soon as they wanted
it — although he offered them good property at con¬
siderable less than the market value. As witness
was obliged to leave the city on church business
for a little season, Wm. Law threatened and intim¬
idated witness’s family during his absence for the
pay.

“ Dr. Foster made a public dinner on the 4th of
July. Witness was obliged to be absent and de¬
posited meat, flour, &c., with Wm. Law, to give
to the poor at that dinner, and Law handed it out
as his own private property. Witness carried a
load of wheat to Law’s mill to be ground — Law
would not grind it only to give a certain quantity
of flour in return by weight. Law used up the
flour, promising from time to time he would refund
it. As witness was about to start on a mission to
the south, with his valise in hand, saw Law before
his door, talking with Hyrurn Smith ; called on
Law and told him he was going away, and his family

GIVING THE SEASON WHY.

257

wanted the flour : Law promised on the honor of a
gentleman and a Saint, his family should have the
flour when they wanted.

“Councillor H. Smith said he recollected the
time and circumstance.

“Hawes said when he returned, found his family
must have starved if they had not borrowed money
to get food somewhere else — could not get it of Law.
And Law was preaching punctuality, punctuality,
PUNCTUALITY, as the whole drift of his dis¬
courses to the Saints, and abusing them himself all
the time, and grinding the poor.

“ Mayor said if he had a city council who felt as
he did, the establishment (referring to the Nauvoo
Expositor ) would be a nuisance before night — and
he then read an editorial from the Nauvoo Expos¬
itor. He then asked who ever said a word against
Judge Emmons until he has attacked this council, —
or even against Joseph H. Jackson or the Laws,
until they came out against the city? Here is a
paper (Nauvoo Expositor), that is exciting our
enemies abroad. Joseph H. Jackson has been
proved a murderer before this council, declared the
paper a nuisance, a greater nuisance than a dead
carcass ; they make a criminality for a man to have
a wife on the earth, while he has one in heaven,
according to the keys of the holy priesthood, and he
then read a statement of William Law’s from the
Expositor, where the truth of God was transformed
into a lie concerning this thing. He then read several
statements of Austin Cowles in the Expositor con¬
cerning a private interview, and said he never had
any private conversation with Austin Cowles on these
subjects ; that he preached on the stand from the
Bible, showing the order in ancient days, having
nothing to do with the present times. What the oppo¬
sition party want, is to raise a mob on us and take
the spoil from us, as they did in Missouri. He said

TEE PBOPHET OF PALMTBA.

it was as much as he could do to keep his clerk,
Thonjpson, from publishing the proceedings of the
Laws and causing the people to rise up against
them. Said he would rather die to-morrow and
have the thing smashed, than live and have it go
on, for it was exciting the spirit of mobocracy
among the people and bringing death and destruc¬
tion upon us.

“ Peter Hawes recalled a circumstance, which he
had forgot to mention, concerning a Mr. Smith who
came from England and soon after died — the chil¬
dren had no one to protect them ; there was one
girl 16 or 17 years old and a younger sister. Wit¬
ness took these girls into his family out of pity. —
Wilson Law, then Major-General of the Kauvoo
Legion, was familiar with the eldest daughter. —
Witness cautioned the girl. — Wilson was soon there
again and went out in the evening with the girl,
who Avhen charged by the witness’s wife confessed
that Wilson Law had seduced her. Witness told
her he could not keep her. The girl wept, made
much ado, and many promises — witness told her if
she would do right, she might stay, but she did not
keep her promise. Wilson came again and she
went out with him. Witness required her to leave
his house.

“ Mayor said certain women came to complain to
his wife, — that they had caught Wilson Law with
the girl on the floor at Mr. Hawes’s in the night.

“ Councillor C. H. Smith proceeded to show the
falsehood of Austin Cowles in the Expositor in re¬
lation to the revelation referred to, that it was in
reference to former days, and not the present time
as related by Cowles.

“ Mayor said he had never preached the revela¬
tion in private, as he had in public, — had not taught
it to the anointed in the church in private, which
statement many present confirmed, that on inquir-

GIVING THE REASON WHY.

in" concerning the passage in the resurrection con¬
cerning ‘ they neither marry nor are given in mar¬
riage,’ &c., he received for answer, ‘Men in this life
must marry in view of eternity, otherwise they must
remain as angels, or be single in heaven,’ which was
the amount of the revelation referred to ; and the
Mayor spoke at considerable length in explanation
of this principle and was willing for one to sub¬
scribe his name, to, declare the Expositor and whole
establishment a nuisance.

“ 2 o’clock p. m.

“ The clerk of the council bore testimony of the
good character and high standing of Mr. Smith and
his family, whose daughter was seduced by Wilson
Law, as stated by the last witness before the morn¬
ing council, that Mrs. Smith died near the mouth
of the Mississippi, and the father and eldest daugh¬
ter died soon after their arrival in this place ; and
that the seduction of such a youthful, fatherless,
and innocent creature by such a man in high stand¬
ing as the Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion,
was one of the darkest, damnedest and foulest deeds
on record.

“ Councillor Hyrum Smith concurred in the
remarks made by the clerk concerning the excellent
character of Mr. Smith and his family.

“Mayor said the constitution did not authorize
the press to publish libels, and proposed that the
council make some provision for putting down the
Nauvoo Expositor.

“ Councillor Hyrum Smith called for a pro¬
spectus of the Expositor.

“Councillor Phelps read article 8, section 1,
Constitution of Illinois.

“ Mayor called for the charter.

“The clerk read the prospectus of the Nauvoo
Expositor.

“Mayor read the statements of Francis M.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Higbee from the Expositor and asked, ‘ Is it not
treasonable against all chartered rights and privi¬
leges, and against the peace and happiness of the
city?’

“ Councillor II. Smith was in favor of declaring
the Expositor a nuisance.

“ Councillor Taylor said no city on earth would
bear such slander, and he would not bear it, and
was decidedly in favor of active measures.

“Mayor made a statement of what Wm. Law
said before the city council under oath, that he was
a friend to the Mayor, &c. , &c. , and asked if there
were any present who recollected his statement,
when scores responded, Yes !

‘ * Councillor Hunter was one of the grand jury,
said Wm. Law stated before the grand jury that he
did not say to the council that he was Joseph’s
friend.

* ‘ Councillor Taylor continued : * Wilson Law
was president of this council during the passage of
many ordinances, and referred to the records.
Wm. Law and Emmons were members of the coun¬
cil ; and Emmons has never objected to any ordi¬
nance while in the council ; but has been more like
a cipher, and is now become editor of a libellous
paper, and is trying to destroy our charter and
ordinances.’ He then read from the Constitution of
the United States on the freedom of the press, and
said : ‘We are willing they should publish the
truth ; but it is unlawful to publish libels ; the
Expositor is a nuisance and stinks in the nose of
every honest man.’

“ Mayor read from Illinois Constitution, article
8, section 2, touching the responsibility of the
press for its Constitutional liberty.

“ Councillor Stiles said a nuisance was anything
that disturbs the peace of a community and read
Blackstone on Private Wrongs, vol. 2, page 4, and

GIVING THE BEASON WHY. 261

the whole community has to rest under the stigma
of these falsehoods, referring to the Expositor, and
if we can prevent the issuing of any more slander¬
ous communications, he would go in for it. It is
right for this community to show a proper resent¬
ment, and he would go in for suppressing all further
communications of the kind.

“ Councillor H. Smith believed the best way was
to smash the press and * pi ’ the type.

“ Councillor Johnson concurred with the coun¬
cillors who had spoken.

“Alderman Bennett referred to the statement of
the Expositor concerning the municipal court in the
case of Jeremiah Smith as a libel, and considered
the paper a public nuisance.

“ Councillor Warrington considered his a peculiar
situation, as he did not belong to any church or any
party ; though it might be considered rather harsh
for the council to declare the paper a nuisance, and
proposed giving a few days’ limitation and assess¬
ing a fine of $3,000 for every libel, and if they
would not cease publishing libels, to declare it a
nuisance ; and said the statutes made provision for
a fine of $500.

“ Mayor replied that they threatened to shoot
him when at Carthage ; and the women and others
dare not go to Carthage to prosecute, and read a
libel from the Expositor concerning the imprison¬
ment of Jeremiah Smith.

“ Councillor H. Smith spoke of the Warsaw
Signal and disapproved its libellous course.

“ Mayor renwked he was sorry to have one dis¬
senting voice in declaring the Expositor a nuisance.

“ Councillor Warrington did not mean to be
understood to go against the proposition ; but
would not be in haste in declaring it a nuisance.

“ Councillor H. Smith referred to the mortgages
and property of the proprietors of the Expositor

262

THE PEOPHET OF PALM YEA.

and thought there would be little chance of col¬
lecting damages for libels.

“Alderman E. Smith considered there was but
one course to pursue, that the proprietors were out
of reach of the law ; that our course was to put an
end to the thing at once ; believed by what he had
heard that if the city did not do it others would.

“ Councillor Hunter believed it to be a nuisance ;
referred to the opinion of Judge Pope on habeas
corpus, and spoke in favor of the charter, &c. ;
asked Francis M. Iligbee before the grand jury, if
he was not the man he saw at Joseph’s house
making professions of friendship ; Iligbee said he
was not [hundreds know this statement to be
false] ; he also asked R. D. Foster if he did not state
before hundreds of people that he believed Joseph
to be a prophet ; ‘ no ’ said Foster. They were
under oath when they said it. [Many hundreds of
people' are witness to this perjury.]

“Alderman Spencer accorded with the views ex¬
pressed, that the Nauvoo Expositor is a nuisance,
did not consider it wise to give them time to
trumpet a thousand lies. Their property could not
pay for it ; if we pass only a fine or imprisonment,
have we any confidence that they will desist? None
at all ! AYe have found these men covenant-break¬
ers with God ! with their wives 1 ! &c. Have we
any hope of their doing better? Their characters
have gone before them ; shall they be suffered to
go on, and bring a mob upon us and murder our
women and children, and burn our beautiful city?
No ! I had rather my blood would be spilled at
once, and would like to have the press removed as
goon as the ordinance would allow ; and wish the
matter might be put into the hands of the Mayor,
and everybody stand by him in the execution of his
duties, and hush every murmur.

.• councillor Levi Richards said he had felt deeply

GIVING THE REASON WIIT.

on this subject, and concurred fully in the view
General Smith had ‘ expressed of it this day,’
thought it unnecessary to repeat what the council
perfectly understood ; considered private interest as
nothing in comparison with the public good. Every
time a line was formed in the Far West he was there,
for what? To defend it against just such scoun¬
drels and influence as the Nauvoo Expositor and
its supporters were directly calculated to bring
against us again. Considered the doings of the
council of this day of immense moment, not to this
city alone, but to the whole world ; would go in to
put a stop to the thing at once ; let it be thrown
out of this city, and the responsibility of counte¬
nancing such a press be taken off our shoulders and
fall on the State, if corrupt enough to sustain it.

“ Councillor Phineas Richards said that he had
not forgotten the transactions at Haun’s Mills, and
that he recollected that his son George Spencer then
lay in the well referred to, on the day previous,
without a winding-sheet, shroud, or coffin. He
said he could not sit still when he saw the same
spirit raging in this place ; he considered the pub¬
lication of the Expositor as much murderous at
heart as David was before the death of Uriah. Was
for making a short work of it, was prepared to take
his stand by the Mayor, and whatever he proposes,
would stand by him to the last. The quicker it is
stopped the better.

‘ ‘ Councillor Phelps had investigated the Con¬
stitution, charter, and laws ; the power to declare
that office a nuisance is granted to us, in the Spring-
field charter, and a resolution declaring it a nuisance
is all that is required.

“John Birney sworn: Said Francis M. Higbee
and Wm. Law declared they had commenced their
operations and would carry them out, law or no law.

“ Stephen Markham, sworn : Said that Francis

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

2(j4

M. Higbee said the interest of this city is done the
moment a hand is laid on their press.

“ Councillor Phelps continued, and referred to
Wilson Law in destroying the character of a child,
an orphan child, who had the charge of another
child.

“ Warren Smith sworn : Said F. M. Higbee came
to him and proposed to have him go in as a partner
in making bogus money. Higbee said he would
not work for a living ; that witness might go in
with him if he would advance fifty dollars, and
showed him (witness) a half a dollar he said was
made in his dies.

‘ 1 Councillor Phelps continued and' said he felt
deeper this day than ever he felt before, and wanted
to know, by Yes if there was any present who
wanted to avenge the blood of that innocent female
who had been seduced by the then Major-General of
the Nauvoo Legion, Wilson Law ; when ‘ Yes ! ! ’
resounded from every quarter of the house. He
then referred to the tea plot at Boston, and asked
if anybody’s rights were taken away with that
transaction, and are we offering, or have we offered
to take away the rights of any one, these two days?
(No! / ! resounded from every quarter.) He then
referred also to Law’s grinding the poor during the
scarcity of grain, while the poor had nothing but
themselves to grind ; and spoke at great length in
support of active measures to put down iniquity and
suppress the spirit of mobocracy.

“Alderman Harris spoke from the chair, and
expressed his feelings that the press ought to be
demolished.

‘ ‘ The following resolution was then read and
passed unanimously, with the exception of Coun¬
cillor Warrington :

“ Resolved, By the city council of the city of
Nauvoo, that the printing office from whence issues

GIVING THE SEASON WHY.

205

the Nauvoo Expositor is a public nuisance, and
also all of said Nauvoo Expositors, which may be
or exist in said establishment, and the Mayor is
instructed to cause said printing establishment and
papers to be removed without delay, in such man¬
ner as he shall direct.

“ Passed June 10, 1844.

“ Geo. W. Harris,

“ President pro tern.

“ W. Richards, Recorder.

“ Six o’clock, p. m., council adjourned.

“ This certifies that the foregoing is a true and
correct synopsis of the proceedings of the city coun¬
cil of the city of Nauvoo, on the 8th and 10th days
of June, 1844, in relation to the Nauvoo Expositor
and proprietors, as taken from the minutes of said
council.

“ In testimony whereof I have hereunto

[L.S.] set my hand, and the corporation seal,
at Nauvoo, this 17th day of June, 1844.

“Willard Richards,

“ Recorder and Cleric of the City Council.

“The following order was immediately issued
by the Mayor :

“ State of Illinois, )

City or Nauvoo. 5

“ To the Marshal of said city, Greeting :

“You are hereby commanded to destroy the
printing press from whence issues the Nauvoo
Expositor and pi the type of said printing estab¬
lishment in the street, and burn allj the Expositors
and libellous handbills found in said establishment,
and if resistance be offered to your execution of
this order, by the owners or others, demolish the
house, and if any one threatens you, or the Mayor,
or the officers of the city, arrest those who threaten

266

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

you, and fail not to execute this order without delay,
and make due return hereon.

“ By order of the city council,

“ Joseph Smith,

“ Mayor.

“Marshal’s Return — The within named press
and type is destroyed and pied according to
order, on this 10th day of June, 1844, at about 8
o’clock, P. M.

“ J. P. Green, C. M.

“ HEADQUARTERS,

Nauyoo Legion, )
June 10, 1844. $

“ To Jonathan Dunham , acting Major General of
the Nauvoo Legion :

“ You are hereby commanded to hold the Nauyoo
Legion in readiness, forthwith to execute the city
ordinances, and especially to remove the printing
establishment of the Nauvoo Expositor, and this
you are required to do at sight, under the penalty
of the laws ; provided the marshal shall require it,
and need your services.

“ Joseph Smith,
Lieut. -Gen. Nauvoo Legion.

PROCLAMATION.

Mayor’s Office, )
Nauvoo, June 16, 1844. 5
“As there are a number of statements in circula¬
tion which have for their object the injury of the
‘ Latter-Day Saints,’ all of which are false and
prompted by blackhearted villains, I therefore deem
it my duty to disabuse the public mind in regard to
them, and to give a plain statement of facts which

GIVING THE EE A 8 ON WHY

have taken place in the city within a few days past,
and, which has brought upon us the displeasure of
the unprincipled and the uninformed, and seems to
afford an opportunity to our enemies, to unite and
arouse themselves to mob ; and already they have
commenced their hellish operations by driving a few
defenceless Mormons from their houses and homes
in the vicinity of Warsaw and Carthage.

“A short time since a press was started in this
city which had for its object the destruction of the
institutions of the city, both civil and religious ; its
proprietors are a set of unprincipled scoundrels who
attempted in every possible way to defame the
character of the most virtuous of our community,
and change our peaceful and prosperous city into a
place as evil and polluted as their own black hearts.
To rid the city of a paper so filthy and pestilential
as this, becomes the duty of every good citizen, who
loves good order and morality ; a complaint was
made before the city council, and after a full and
impartial investigation it was voted — without one
dissenting voice, a public NUISAXCE, and to be
immediately destroyed ; the peace and happiness of
the place demanded it, the virtue of our wives and
daughters demanded, and our consciences demanded
it at our hands as conservators of the public peace.
That we acted right in this matter we have the as¬
surance of one of the ablest expounders of the laws
of England, viz. : Blackstone — the Constitution of
the State of Illinois, and our own chartered rights. If
then our charter gives us the power to decide what
shall be a nuisance and cause it to be removed,
where is the offence? What law is violated? If
then no law has been violated, why this ridiculous
excitement and bandying with lawless ruffians to
destroy the happiness of a people whose religious
motto is ‘ peace and good will toward all men ? ’

“ Our city is infested with a set of blacklegs,

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

counterfeiters and debauchees, and that the pro¬
prietors of this press were of that class, the min¬
utes of the municipal court fully testify, and in
ridding our young and flourishing city of such
characters, we are abused by not only villainous
demagogues, but by some who from their station
and influence in society, ought rather to raise than
depress the standard of human excellence. We
have no disturbance or excitement among us, save
what is made by the thousand and one idle rumors
afloat in the country. Every one is protected in
his person and property, and but few cities of a
population of twenty thousand people, in the United
States, hath less of dissipation or vice of any kind,
than the city of Nauvoo.

‘ ‘ Of the correctness of our conduct in this affair,
we appeal to every high court in the State, and to
its ordeal we are willing to appear at any time that
His Excellency, Governor Ford shall please to call
us before it. I therefore, in behalf of the municipal
court of Nauvoo, warn the lawless, not to be pre¬
cipitate in any interference in our affairs, for as sure
as there is a God in Israel, we shall ride triumphant
over all oppression.

“ Joseph Smith,

“Mayor”

THE ATONEMENT.

269

CHAPTER XXVm.

THE ATONEMENT.

Great Excitement — Writs Procured — Public Meetings —
Citizens Arming — The Governor Appealed to — Ar¬
rives at Carthage — Takes Command — Mayor and
Council of Nauvoo Summoned— Arrested But Pail
to Appear— Finally Come in and Surrender — Re¬
leased on Bail — Re-arrested for Treason — Gov¬
ernor’s Definition of Treason — Marches with a
Small Force to the City — The Smiths Killed in
Jail — Great Consternation.

The destruction of the press and types of the Ex¬
positor put the city of Nauvoo and the whole county
of Hancock at fever heat. The seceders all left the
city, and the owners of the destroyed property re¬
paired to the county seat, and procured writs for the
Mayor and others concerned, on a charge of riot.
These writs were placed in the hands of an officer,
who, with a small^osse, repaired to the city and
arrested a number of the persons charged. The
inevitable habeas corpus was again applied from the
municipal court, and they were “ honorably dis¬
charged.”

Meanwhile, the whole county was in commotion.
Public meetings were held at various points, and
the people called upon to arm for a crisis that
seemed to be approaching. The following resolu-

270 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tions were passed at two principal points in the
county (Carthage and Warsaw), by acclamation,
and preparations actively made to carry them out :

“ Resolved, That the time, in our opinion, has
arrived when the adherents of Smith as a body,
should be driven from the surrounding settlements
into Nauvoo : that the prophet and his miscreant
adherents should then be demanded at their hands,
and if not surrendered, a war of extermination
should be waged to their entire destruction, if
necessary for our protection.

“ Resolved , That every citizen arm himself to be
prepared to sustain the resolutions herein con¬
tained.”

These looked to extreme measures. It is proper
to here remark, that there were at this time, and
ever afterwards while the Mormons remained, four
classes of citizens in the county : First , the Mor¬
mons themselves ; 2. A class called Jack-Mormons,
Avho, not members of the sect, adhered to and sus¬
tained them for political gain ; 3. Old citizens who
were Anti-Mormon at heart, but who refused to
countenance any but lawful measures for the redress
of grievances ; and, 4. Anti-Mormons, who, now
that the crisis was at hand, advocated “war and
extermination.” Some of the third class were de¬
nounced as “Jacks,” by the extremists; though
the great body of them acted usually with the
fourth class in all things but their extreme meas¬
ures.

All over the county, men were arming, organ-

THE ATONEMENT.

271

izing, and drilling; having been notified by the of¬
ficer holding the writs that a posse comitatus would
be called for to aid in making the arrests. A great
want existed in the absence of anus and ammuni¬
tion. Agents to procure these were sent to Quincy'
and St. Louis and other places. At St. Louis a
cannon and a lot of ammunition were obtained and
brought up to Warsaw. The authorities of the town
voted a thousand dollars for supplies. A deputa¬
tion having been sent to Governor Ford at Spring-
field, that functionary decided to visit the county in
person and judge for himself.

In much that follows regarding the death of the
Smiths, and the events leading thereto and subse¬
quent, we use Ford’s Message as Governor, and
his History of Illinois, correcting his many mis¬
takes and misstatements of facts.

Upon the Governor’s arrival in the county, he
found an armed force collected and collecting, while
another was arming and assembling at Warsaw.
The General of the militia, Deming, had also called
out the militia of the adjoining counties of Mc¬
Donough and Schuyler. The Governor promptly
placed all the troops under orders and under com¬
mand of their proper officers. He next summoned
the Mayor and the city council of Nauvoo to pre¬
sent their side of the question, which they did,
through a committee sent to the Governor at the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

county seat, his headquarters. After some consid¬
erable delay and indecision as to what course to
pursue next, a force of ten men was sent to the city
with the officer to make the arrest and guard the
prisoners to headquarters. The officer made the
arrests without trouble, the Mayor and councillors
signifying their willingness to accompany him to
Carthage at eight o’clock the next morning. Eight
o’clock came, but the accused failed to appear, and
the posse marched back to Carthage without them.
This incensed the Governor. He blamed the officer
very unjustly for returning without them. That
individual knew better than his excellency the ways
of the accused. He knew that if they had intended
submission, they would have presented themselves
at the time fixed ; and if they did not, that an
officer and ten men would find it an up-hill business
to hunt out and bring away an equal number from
a city full of armed enemies.

The Governor next demanded that the State
arms in the hands of the Legion, with which they
had been supplied by Quartermaster-General Ben¬
nett, should be delivered to him. To this demand
they complied by sending in three pieces of cannon
and two hundred stands of small arms.

The surrender of the chiefs being insisted on by
Governor Ford, on the 24th, the prophet, his
brother Hyrum, and some members of the city

THE ATONEMENT.

council came in and surrendered to the officers
holding the writs, and voluntarily entered into
recognizance to appear at court. In the mean time
a new warrant, charging Joseph and Hyrum Smith
with treason, had been issued, and they were again
arrested by the constable. This charge of treason was
based on the alleged fact of levying war against the
State, and of declaring martial law in the city, and
ordering out the Legion to resist the execution of
the laws. Here Historian Ford, in order to find
fault with the Hancock people, gives us a new and
novel definition of treason. He says :

“ Their actual guiltiness of the charge would de¬
pend upon circumstances. If their opponents had
been seeking to put the law in force in good faith,
and nothing more, then an array of military force
in open resistance to the posse comitatus and the
militia of the State, most probably would have
amounted to treason. But if those opponents
mainly intended to use the process of the law, the
militia of the State, and the posse comitatus, as
cat’s-paws to compass the possession of their per¬
sons for the purpose of murdering them afterwards,
as the sequel demonstrated the fact to be, it might
well be doubted whether they were guilty of trea¬
son.” — Hist. III. p. 337.

So treason, instead of depending upon the
acts and intentions of the persons charged, is
to be measured by the acts and intentions of
others. It is a principle of law that intention
must be taken into account in defining crime,

274

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

but it comes strangely from the executive of a State,
that to constitute crime, the intentions of persons
who are endeavoring to bring a criminal to justice,
rather than his own, are to be considered. But by
what process does Governor Ford so summarily
arrive at the intentions of those he styles the
“ opponents ” of the Mormon leaders?

Neither party being prepared for the examination
on the charge of treason, the accused were com¬
mitted to the county jail for safe-keeping.

The Governor now decided to march his whole
force into Nauvoo, but does not seem to have had any
clearly defined object for so doing. The morning of
the 27th was fixed on for the march ; and on the
26th the order was given, and a message sent to
the troops at Warsaw, to meet him and the main
body at Golden’s Point, about seven miles from the
city. But on the morning of the day fixed for the
march, he wavered in his intention of taking a force
into the city, and called a council of his officei's for
consultation. A small majority of them voted in
favor of going ; but the Governor took the responsi-
bility, countermanded his orders, and disbanded the
troops — except three companies, two to remain at
Carthage, and one to accompany himself and a few
friends into Nauvoo. An order to this effect was
accordingly forwarded to the companies at Warsaw,
who were already on the march, and they were met

THE ATONEMENT.

J75

on the prairie by the disbanding officer before
reaching Golden’s Point. After being disbanded,
portions of these returned to their homes, while
others changed their course eastward toward the
county seat. The two companies left to guard the
jail were put under command of Captain Robert F.
Smith, of the Carthage Greys, an independent and
well-disciplined company — his own being one of
them.*

“Having ordered the guard and left Gen. Dem-
ing in command in Carthage, and discharged the
residue of the militia, I immediately departed
for Nauvoo, eighteen miles distant, accompanied
by Col. Buckmaster, Quarter-Master-General, and
Capt. Dunn’s (Augusta) company of dragoons.”
— Ford's Hist. p. 345.

It was supposed that one, and perhaps a chief
purpose of this expedition, was “to search for
counterfeit money.” Be this as it may, the Gov¬
ernor changed his mind again. He began to fear
an attack on the jail, it was said ; so he decided to
omit the search, but to hurry on to the city, make
the Mormons a speech, and return to Carthage the
same night. The baggage wagons were halted on
the prairie, with orders to return at night. He .and
his escort reached the city about four o’clock. The

*Some writers have criticised Governor Ford severely for
leaving this officer and his company as guard to the prisoners,
charging that they were conspicuously enemies to the prophet.
This was not the fact. That company had no reason to be, and
were no more hostile to Smith and the Mormons than any
others of the old citizens of the county.

276

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

people were called together, and the Governor
made them an address, in which, he says, he rated
them pretty severely for their had conduct, and
ended by putting the vote whether they would in
future obey the laws. They unanimously voted
Yes ! — when his excellency and his retinue started
back to Carthage a little before sundown. A few
miles out from the city they were met by a messen¬
ger with the information that the prophet and his
brother had been assailed in jail by a mob , and
killed ! The messenger who brought the news
was ordered to return with them to Carthage,
which he did ; but by some unknown means the
news reached the city during the night.

General consternation now pervaded the whole
county. The troops had been disbanded, and
most of them had, during the day, left for their
homes. Captain Dunn’s company, with the Gov¬
ernor and the two companies left at Carthage, were
all that were now under arms in the county to con¬
front the Legion should it make a raid to avenge
its chief. The Governor, in a state of high excite¬
ment, hurried on with his command to Carthage,
where he arrived long after night, only to find the
place partially deserted; and all who had not gone,
with a few exceptions, were going as fast as means
of conveyance could be found for their families.
All were fleeing in an easterly or south-easterly

THE ATONEMENT.

277

direction, opposite to that of the Mormon city.
The bodies of the murdered men, together with
that of John Taylor, their wounded companion,
and Willard Richards, who was unhurt, had been
removed by kindly hands to the hotel, where they
remained during the night. General Deming had
left for his home in the country during the after¬
noon, before the deed had been committed. The
Governor only halted long enough to denounce the
people for their folly, and rode on to Augusta that
night, and thence the next day to Quincy.

At Warsaw, the people were not long in hearing
of the crime, and apprehending Mormon vengeance,
many of them also hurried from their homes,
mostly taking refuge in Alexandria, across the
river in Missouri. Picket guards were placed about
both Carthage and Warsaw, to watch the approach
of the enemy.

At Nauvoo the greatest consternation prevailed.
The messenger bringing them the news had been
turned back by the Governor ; yet late at night the
terrible fact had somehow reached the city. The
people were appalled at the disaster which had be¬
fallen them. Not knowing that the troops had been
disbanded, and fearing an attack from the mob, they
also fled from their homes — many of them cross¬
ing over into Iowa.

From a late account of these exciting events,

278

THE PEOPIIET OF PALMYRA.

which we find in a New York paper, written
by a highly intelligent gentleman who was a resi¬
dent of Carthage at that time and well known in
the county, we make the following extract. He
claims to have been, and was, an accidental eye
witness to the attack on the jail. He says :

“The Governor indiscreetly had Joseph and his
brother taken round and formally presented to the
soldiery. The latter were incensed that so much
respect should be shown a criminal, and suspected
that he would be let off upon his submission, with¬
out any adequate punishment ; whereas, they had
answered the Governor’s call in the expectation of
sterner dealing. Their suspicions were strength¬
ened by the fact that the prisoners, instead of
being confined in the criminal’s apartment of the
jail, were allowed to occupy a parlor chamber with
their friends, under a guard of six soldiers, de¬
tailed from the Carthage Greys, stationed at the
front door at the foot of the stairway.

“ On the morning of June 27th, Governor Ford
discharged all his forces except a cavalry company
and the Carthage Greys, and leaving the jail, with
Smith and his friends in the parlor chamber, in
charge of reliefs of guards from the Greys, he went
with the cavalry to Nauvoo to inspect the city, to
give good advice to the Mormons, and require a
surrender of the State arms in their possession.

“ The militia from other counties started home
with alacrity. But two companies from the south¬
west portion of Hancock seemed to linger and de¬
part reluctantly. Late in the afternoon, a large
body of men was seen coming rapidly from the
west on the road over which the two companies had
departed, who, about a mile from town, turned off
north to a line of woods coming down back of the

THE ATONEMENT.

279

jail. Soon they emerged from the woods and came
up to the jail upon the double-quick. As they came
round to the front, the guard, standing on the steps,
fired down from an elevation of three or four feet
into the midst of them, when not twenty feet dis¬
tant. The writer saw six flashes streaming toward
the crowd, but nobody fell. The assailants, having
their faces blackened with powder, rushed forward
and seized the guards and threw them upon the
ground. Most of them were easy to handle ; but
one, who did not know that ball cartridges had been
replaced with blanks in their guns, at the last relief- —
who was not in the secret at all, but thought he had
fired to kill, and was all in earnest throughout — a
tall, athletic, stammering boy of nineteen j^ears —
made it rough for those wTho held him. He floun¬
dered and pounded, vociferating, ‘ Y-y-y-y-you ! ’
‘ Lie still, you fool, we’re not going to hurt you ! ’
‘ D-d-d — ' continued Frank, kicking and strug¬
gling to break loose, and trying frantically to break
the third commandment, though his impediment of
speech saved him from the actual sin.

“As many as could, now rushed up the stairway,
at the head of which was the room where the pris¬
oner and his friends wTere. They tried in vain to
burst in the door, for the Smiths and two bishops
— all heavy men — bore against it from the, other
side. Then, turning the muzzles of their guns
against the thin-paneled door, several of them fired,
killing Hyruin, and wounding Joseph and Bishop
Taylor, — when all inside retreated, except Richards,
who, shielded in a corner behind the now opened
door, escaped unhurt. A window opposite the
door was open, and Joseph sprang upon its broad
sill as if to get out ; but balls struck bun from be¬
hind, and with a loud cry he pitched headlong to
the ground. Balls from the outside met his falling
body. It seemed to me — twenty rods distant, but

280

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

in full sight — that he for a moment partly raised
himself to a sitting posture against a well-curb be¬
side which he fell ; but it is not true, as was some¬
times reported, that his assailants leaned his body
up against the curb, and made it a target. . . ,

“A panic spread, and within two hours the town
was deserted, with the exception of the Hamilton
Hotel, where the killed and wounded were taken,
and a few gathered for service, and a harbor for
safety in the expected storm. Men, women, and
children fled in wagons, on horseback and afoot,
■while Delenda est Carthago seemed sounding in
their ears.” — J. II. S., in Ithaca (H. Y.) Journal ,
April. 1886.

EOW TEE DEED WAS DONE.

281

CHAPTER XXIX.

HOW THE DEED WAS DONE.

Effect of the Panic — Governor Ford’s Plan Revealed —
Attack on the Jail by the Mob — The Prophet and His
Brother Killed — How it was Done — Purposes of the
Mob — Willard Richards’s Statement.

On the morning of the 28th of June, 1844, the
sun rose on as strange a scene as the broad Han¬
cock prairies had ever witnessed. At the three
corners of a triangle, eighteen miles asunder, two of
them resting on the Mississippi, stood a smitten
and mourning city and two almost deserted villages,
with here and there a group of questioning men,
anxious to obtain the news of the night. These
were Nauvoo and the villages of Carthage and War¬
saw. Toward the two villages, the more coura¬
geous ones who had fled the evening before, were
now returning, tired and worn, to find their several
homes unsacked and untouched, and their streets
untrodden by a vengeful and infuriated foe. The
wet and heavy roads leading to the county seat
from the east and south were being again traversed
by the refugees of the night, now returning where
they had so lately fled in terror. The blue waves

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of the Mississippi rolled peacefully past the stricken
city, as when, a few days before, its shores re¬
sounded to the Legion’s martial tread. All the
people knew that a great crime had been committed,
by whom they dared not guess ; and they knew
not how, upon whom, where, or in what manner,
retribution might fall !

Governor Ford very justly concluded that for the
time being his authority was at an end. He had
by his vacillating course failed to satisfy either
party, and both regarded him with distrust. He
accordingly hurried from the county, and brought
up at Quincy, forty miles from the scene of the
troubles. It was strongly suspected by some of
the citizens that he had contemplated an escape of
the prisoners, after the manner of Missouri ; and
he was very angry with them for harboring such a
suspicion. But in his book, written some years
afterwards, he acknowledged that he had such a
plan, and complained that it was “ thwarted by the
insane folly of the Anti-Mormons.” [P. 339.]
This fact was never fully known until made pub¬
lic by himself. The consummation of his plan
could hardly have been effected without bloodshed.
And here we have a repetition of the humiliating
fact, that the executive head of a great State,
whose duty it is to execute the laws, connived at
the escape of great criminals, in order to avoid the

HOW THE HEED WAS DONE.

responsibilities devolving upon him, and as the easi¬
est way of getting rid of troublesome men.

The charge has been made, and generally believed,
that the Warsaw troops, disbanded in the morning
on the prairie, furnished most of the mobbers.
That is probable from the fact that when the attack
was made in the afternoon, the jail was approached
from that direction ; though it is by no means con¬
clusive — as there was ample time for others to have
assembled in the woods to the northwest of the
town, where the plot was probably concocted. Those
troops were partly composed of citizens of Warsaw
and partly from the surrounding country, with a
few from Missouri and other places. Whoever
they may have been, they came from the direction
of those woods, and were observed to approach in
single file and quickstep until they came to the
fence surrounding the jail. From the best informa¬
tion now to be obtained, they numbered not more
than forty or fifty — certainly less than a hundred.
On reaching the fence, they scaled it at once and
seized the guards. These were soon overpowered, '
and a rush made for the door of the jail, the prison¬
ers being confined in the upper story. The door
was assailed and burst open. The prisoners in¬
side were behind it, well armed, and endeavoring
to prevent ingress. As the door would yield to the
outside pressure, the prophet fired several shots

284

TIIE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

around the edge with his revolver. The mob fired
through the door, and in this way killed Hyrum
Smith and wounded John Taylor severely. Find¬
ing that they were being overpowered, Richards,
who was still unhurt, ran with Taylor, wounded,
into the inner dungeon ; while Joseph Smith has¬
tened to a window on the east side, raised the
sash, and leaned partly out, probably with a view
of jumping, when he was shot by several balls from
the outside, and fell to the ground near the well-
curb. It has been stated — and is always so told by
the Mormons — that after his fall he was set up
against the curb and several times shot. This,
from reliable information, we believe was not the
case ; that no shot was fired after he fell, and that
he died from the two or three shots received in the
window. The story originated with one Daniels,
who afterwards issued a little pamphlet giving a
most miraculous account of the transaction.

Governor Ford and others have stated that the
plan had been devised and arranged between the
mob and the Carthage Greys, and that the guard of
ten men of that company around the jail made but a
feint at resistance. It is certainly true that a por¬
tion of the Greys knew that something was to be
done, but others, and the great body of them, knew
nothing about it. These were wholly ignorant,
until the firing was heard at the camp on the pub-

HOW THE HEED WAS DONE.

285

lie square ; and then, in common with the rest of
the citizens, they apprehended a Mormon rescue.

The Governor also charges that the mob had se¬
lected that time — while he was in Nauvoo and in
the power of the Mormons — to do the bloody deed,
in order to compass his own destruction at Mormon
hands in revenge. His own too excitable and sus¬
picious nature originated the thought. There was
not the slightest foundation for the charge. So far
from it being the fact that they designed and con¬
templated the murder of the Governor, we believe
they had not even planned for the killing of the
prisoners! This avowal will no doubt be read with
surprise by many of our readers ; for we well know
that the Governor’s unfounded statements, coupled
with the Mormon accounts of the cruelty and blood¬
thirstiness of the mob, have long since and always
been received as valid history. It is hard at all
times to tell the plans and purposes of a mob ; in¬
deed, it is safe to say that in many cases its work
is accomplished without any preconceived or defined
plan. This mob we believe to have been one of these.
Their work is not to be excused or palliated,
nevertheless. They were therefor a wrongful and
unlawful purpose, though that purpose may not
have been clearly defined.

A review of the circumstances will give the basis
for the opinion above expressed. There had been in

286. THE Pit OP HE T OF PALMYRA.

the near past, as we have seen, several demands made
by the authorities of Missouri for the delivery of
the prophet, all of which had in some way been
thwarted. Added to this, only a few days before,
two or three public meetings had been held, at
which resolutions had invited the Governor of that
State to make another demand, and pledged aid
to carry it into effect. So far the purpose of the
mob may have been definite — and until the jail
was reached. There, instead of finding two un¬
armed and defenceless men, as they had reason to
believe — for Taylor and Richards were there of
their own accord — they were met at the door by
four men armed with revolvers, able to make, and
who did make, a vigorous resistance — and the strug¬
gle ended in death.

It has been stated that two or three of the mob-
bers were wounded and carried away. We know
not whether this is so. As soon as it became
known that the Smiths were killed, the mobbers
rapidly retreated from the scene, in the direction
they had come. As soon as the noise of the at¬
tack was heard in the town, the Carthage Greys,
from their camp on the square, with other citi¬
zens, hurried to the jail, only in time to witness
the retreat of the mobbers. They found the
prophet lying dead near or against the well-curb ;
his brother Hyrum was dead upstairs ; and Willard

HOW THE DEED WAS DONE.

Richards unhurt and John Taylor badly wounded,
were found in an inner room where they had taken
refuge. They were all removed by kindly hands
to Hamilton’s Hotel, and properly eared for.

The “ Book of Daniels,” heretofore referred to,
was such a curiosity in itself and contained so
many wonderful statements, that it was worthy of
preservation as a specimen of the literature and
truthfulness of the times. It was put forth at Nau-
voo by one AVm. M. Daniels, an unknown youth,
who said that he was among the Warsaw troops
and at the jail when the deed was done, and that
he was subsequently warned in a dream that he
must go and join the Saints and publish his knowl¬
edge of the affair to the world, in order to further
the ends of justice. He accordingly went to Nauvoo,
and with the assistance of a printer there his
pamphlet was issued. With great particularity he
described how the plan was arranged between the
Warsaw people and the Carthage Greys — that he
was present when the killing was done, and saw it
done, etc., etc. He tells that after Joseph fell to
the ground :

“A fellow six feet tall and upwards, holding a
pewter flute in his hand, bare-headed and bare¬
footed, having on nothing but his pants and shirt,
with his sleeves rolled above his elbows and his
pants rolled above his knees, picked him up in¬
stantly and set him upon the south side of the well-

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

curb, situated three or four feet from the building.
As the ruffian sprang over the fence to Genera)
Smith, and while he was in the act of picking him
up, he said: ‘This is old Joe; I know him. I
know you, old Joe, d — n you ; you are the man
that had my daddy shot.’ The reason of his talk¬
ing in this way, I suppose, was that he wished to
pass himself to General Smith as being the son of
Governor Boggs. . . . Four of the ruffians

who stood in front of Colonel Williams, about eight
feet east of the curb, were ordered by Williams to
lire. They raised their muskets and the fire was
simultaneous. . . . After the breath had left

his body, the person I have previously described,
who had passed as the son of Governor Boggs,
caught up a bowie knife for the purpose of cutting
off his head. The knife was raised ready to strike,
when a light, so strange, so bright and sudden,
flashed between him and the corpse, that he and the
four men who had shot him, were struck with terror
and consternation. Their muskets fell from their
hands, and they stood like marble, not having
power to move a single limb. They were about to
be left, when Colonel Williams, who had also be¬
held and been terrified at the light, shouted out to
the men: ‘ For God’s sake, come and carry away
these men ! ’ They were obliged to carry them
away, as they were as helpless as though they were
dead. This light was something like the flash of
lightning, and was so much brighter than the day,
that after it had passed it left a slight darkness like
a twilight ! ”

Daniels lurther states, that when it became known
that he was going to be a witness against the ac¬
cused, and the nature of his testimony became
public, the sum of $2,500 was offered him to leave

HOW THE DEED TFAS DONE.

the State ; this failing, efforts were made to put him
out of the way by violence !

And he was subsequently subpoenaed as a wit¬
ness ; but the nature of his testimony threw it out
of court.

As part of the history of the transaction, we copy
here Willard Richards’s report, as communicated to
the Nauvoo Neighbor a few days afterwards. Mr.
Richards, it seems, saw nothing of the blinding
light which so overpowered the mobbers, though
standing at the window at the time :

TWO MINUTES IN JAIL.

“Possibly the following events occupied near three
minutes, but I think only about two, and have
penned them for the gratification of many friends :

“Carthage, June 27, 1844.

“ A shower of musket balls were thrown up the
stairway against the door of the prison in the
second story, followed by many rapid footsteps ;
while Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Mr.
Taylor and myself, who were in the front cham¬
ber, closed the door of our room, against the
entry at the head of the stairs, and placed ourselves
against it, there being no lock on the door, and no
ketch that was useable. The door is a common
panel, and as soon as we heard the feet at the
stairs’ head, a ball was sent through the door, which
passed between us, and showed that our enemies
were desperadoes, and we must change our position.
General Joseph Smith, Mr. Taylor, and myself,
sprang back to the front part of the room, and
Genera] Hyrum Smith retreated two-thirds across

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the chamber directly in front of and facing the door.
A ball was sent through the door which hit Hyrum
on the side of his nose, when he fell backwards
extended at length without moving his feet. From
the holes in his vest (the day was warm, and no
one had their coats on but myself), pantaloons,
drawers and shirt, it appears evident that a ball
must have been thrown from without through the
window, which entered his back on the right side
and passing through, lodged against his watch,
which was in his right vest pocket, completely pul¬
verizing the crystal and face, tearing oil' the hands
and mashing the whole body of the watch, at the
same instant the ball from the door entered his
nose. As he struck the floor he exclaimed em¬
phatically: iTm a dead man/’ Joseph looked
towards him and responded ; ‘ Oh dear ! Brother
Hyrum!'’ and opening the door two or three inches
with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six-
shooter (pistol) at random in the entry, from
whence a ball grazed Hyrum’s breast, and entering
his throat, passed into his head — while other muskets
were aimed at him, and some balls hit him. Joseph
continued snapping his revolver round the casing
of the door into the space as before (three barrels
of which missed fire), while Mr. Taylor, with a
walking stick, stood by his side and knocked down
the bayonets and muskets which were constantly
discharging through the doorway, while I stood by,
ready to lend my assistance, with another stick ; but
could not come within striking distance, without
going directly before the muzzle of the guns. When
the revolver failed, we had no more fire-arms, and
expecting an immediate rush of the mob, and the
doorway full of muskets — half-way iu the room,
and no hope but instant death from within — Mr.
Taylor rushed into the window, which is some fif¬
teen or twenty feet from the ground. When his

HOW THE DEED TFJ.S DONE.

291

body was nearly on a balance, a ball from the door
within entered his leg, and a ball from without
struck his watch, a patent lever, in his vest pocket,
near the left breast, and smashed it in « pie,’ leaving
the hands standing 5 o’clock, 16 minutes and 26
seconds, — the force of which ball threw him back
on the floor, and he rolled under the bed by his
side, where he lay motionless, the mob from the
door continuing to fire upon him, cutting away a
piece of flesh from his left hip as large as a man’s
hand, and were hindered only by my knocking down
their muzzles with a stick ; while they continued to
reach their guns into the room, probably left-
handed, and aimed their discharge so far around as
almost to reach us in the corner of the room to
where we retreated and dodged, and then I re-com¬
menced my attack with the stick again. Joseph
attempted as the last resort, to leap the same win¬
dow from whence Mr. Taylor fell, when two balls
pierced him from the door, and one entered his
right breast from without, and he fell outward, ex¬
claiming, ‘ 0 Lord, my God /’ As his feet went
out of the window my head went in, the balls
whistling all around. He fell on his left side, a
dead man. At this instant the cry was raised, ‘ He's
leaped the loindow I ’ and the mob on the stairs and
in the entry ran out. I withdrew from the window,
thinking it of no use to leap out on a hundred bayo¬
nets, then around General Smith’s body. Not sat¬
isfied with this, I again reached my head out of the
window and watched some seconds, to see if there
were any signs of life, regardless of my own, de¬
termined to see the end of him I loved ; being fully
satisfied that he was dead, with a hundred men near
the body and more coming around the corner of
the jail, and expecting a return to our room, I
rushed towards the prison door, at the head of the
stairs, and through the entry from whence the firing

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

had proceeded, to learn if the doors into the prison
were open. When near the entry, Mr. Taylor
called out, « Take me /’ I pressed my way till I
found all doors unbarred, returning instantly
caught Mr. Taylor under my arm, and rushed by
the stairs into the dungeon, or inner prison, stretched
him on the floor and covered him with a bed, in such
a manner as not likely to he perceived, expecting
an immediate return of the mob. I said to Mr.
Taylor, This is a hard case, to lay jrou on the floor ;
but if your wounds are not fatal, I want you to live
to tell the story. I expected to be shot the next
moment, and stood before the door awaiting the
onset.

“Willard Eichards.”

— Nauvoo Neighbor, July 24, 1844.

AEKEST8, INDICTMENTS, TEIALS. 293

CHAPTER XXX.

ARRESTS, INDICTMENTS, AND TRIALS.

Military Encampment Called— The Wolf Hunt — Gov¬
ernor Ford Interferes— Brings Another Force-
March to Nauvoo — To Warsaw — Joseph H. Jackson
Indictments— Trials of the Prisoners — Found Not
Guilty.

During the summer and autumn of 1844, after
the death of the prophet, great dissatisfaction and
trouble existed at Nauvoo, growing mainly out of
the struggle for the succession. Rigdon and his
adherents were at work against Brigham Young,
who was cunningly allying the rest of the Twelve
to his interests. Many of the rank and file were
becoming lukewarm, and were quietly leaving the
city ; at the same time, others were retiring from
the Mormon settlements in other parts of the
county, some locating in the city, and others scat¬
tering to other counties.

To add to the excitement, a grand military en¬
campment was called, to be held at Warsaw in
October. It was called by the officers of several
independent companies, and had no other purpose
in view, it is believed, than was expressed in the
call ; yet it gave great uneasiness to the Mormons

294

THE T 11 OP HE T OF PALMY HA.

and their friends. They saw in it something more
than a peaceful military display ; and it soon became
magnified into a great “ Wolf Hunt,” in which the
wolves to be hunted were imagined to be the Mor¬
mons themselves. The excitement spread, and the
Governor was appealed to to interpose. His ex¬
cellency allowed himself to be misled, and without
making proper inquiry, he decided to again send
an expedition into the county. A proclamation
was accordingly issued, calling for twenty-five
hundred volunteers, and after several days a force
of four hundred and fifty marched into the county
under the command of Colonel John J. Hardin,
accompanied by the Governor. Two independent
companies were sent directly from Quincy to Nauvoo
by the river.

Some days previous to the call for troops, Mur¬
ray McConnell, Esq., a noted attorney of Jackson¬
ville, had been sent into the county, at the instance
of the Governor; and the result was that several
persons were selected as examples for arrest,
charged with the murder of the Smiths. These
persons were, Colonel Levi Williams of Green
Plains, Thomas C. Sharp, Esq., of the Warsaw
Signal, Joseph H. Jackson, and William and Wilson
Law, and Dr. Robert D. and Charles A. Fos¬
ter (the last four seceding Mormons and part
owners of the Expositor), who were now residing

'A It HE STS, INDICTMENTS, TTtlALS. 295

at Rock Island. Writs for them were issued by
Aaron Johnson, a Justice of the Peace at Nauvoo.
These writs, except as to Colonel Williams, were
duly served ; but all refused to go to Nauvoo for a
hearing, and no attempt was made to take them
there.

After a stay of a day or two at Carthage, the
Governor’s army was marched to Nauvoo, on the
27th, and encamped below the city. On the 28th
the Nauvoo Legion was paraded for review. From
Nauvoo the troops were ordered to Warsaw, where
they arrived on the 29th, and encamped in the
suburbs. As they approached, the men apprehend¬
ing arrest fled across the river to Alexandria.
Learning this fact, Governor Ford chartered a keel-
boat at Montebello, and had it secretly dropped
down to the vicinity of Warsaw, intending to use
it that night in kidnapping the accused from Mis¬
souri and bringing them to the Illinois side. But
during the afternoon, Colonels Hardin and Baker
visited the Missouri side and had a conference with
the accused. An agreement was entered into by
which Williams and Sharp (Jackson being sick)
agreed to give themselves up, on condition that
they should be taken before Judge Thomas of the
circuit for examination. Thus the Governor’s plan
for kidnapping them fell through. The writ was
accordingly read to them, and afterwards, with

296

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Colonel Baker as counsel, and escorted by a detach¬
ment of Quincy troops, they were shipped to that
city in quest of the Judge. Here, after waiting
two days, and no prosecuting witnesses appearing,
they entered into voluntary recognizances to appear
at next term of court, and were set at liberty ; thus
leaving the whole matter just as it was previous to
the Governor’s expedition. . All this occurred just
previous to the October term of court, at which
the indictments were found.

Mention has been made of Joseph H. Jackson.
Mr. J. was an adventurer of fine appearance and
gentlemanly manners, who appeared in the county
during the troubles ; went to Nauvoo and became
quite intimate with Smith and the leaders ; afterwards
turned against them — went to Warsaw and issued
a pamphlet claiming to be an expose of Mormonism
and the evil purposes and practices of the prophet.
This book made many charges against Smith and his
adherents — charges of murder and conspiracy, of
counterfeiting, debauchery, “ spiritual -wifery,”*
etc. ; and claimed that he went among them solely
for the purpose of exposing them. If half of Jack¬
son’s statements were true, the prophet and some
of his abettors should have been hung ; if not true,

* This term, “ Spiritual-wifery,” had its origin, we believe,
about 1842-3, while the prophet was alive, and was used to
designate the system which he was supposed to be introducing
into the Mormon theology.

AEUESTS, INDICTMENTS, TltlALS. 297

Jackson himself should have been hung — in either
case without benefit of clergy. His expost was of
much the same character as that of General Ben¬
nett ; and, as in the case of the latter, much of
his statement was corroborated by circumstances,
and much lacked confirmation. He was an en¬
tire stranger to the county and its people ; no
one knew wdience he came or what became of him
afterwards, when the excitements were all over.
Hence, it is just to say, that the equivocal position
in which he stood, very justly tended to lessen the
confidence of the public in his statements, and his
little book made slight impression. The Mormons
charged that he was an adventurer of the worst
class — himself a counterfeiter, etc., and that he
quarrelled with the prophet and the authorities
because he was detected and exposed.

Among the other many charges made by Jackson
against Smith, was one, that he had been employed
by the latter to go to Independence and assassinate
Governor Boggs of Missouri ; that he was furnished
with a horse and travelling outfit, and actually set
out on the journey ; but after being absent some
time, returned with some plausible excuse for his
failure.

Although embraced in the writs issued at the
instance of McConnell, Jackson was not indicted
by the grand jury, and no further effort was ever

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

29S

made to arrest him. The same may be said of
William and Wilson Law, and Dr. Robert D. and
Charles A. Foster.

At the October term, 1844, of the Hancock cir¬
cuit court, Hon. Jesse B. Thomas presiding, the
grand jury, after a five daj's’ session, brought into
court two bills of indictment against nine individ¬
uals, one for the murder of Joseph Smith, and the
other for the murder of Hyrum Smith, namely :
Levi Williams, Jacob C. Davis, Mark Aldrich,
Thomas C. Sharp, William Voras, John Wills,

William N. Grover, - Gallaher, and - Allen.

Of these, Colonel Williams had been in command
of the Warsaw regiment that had been disbanded
on the prairie ; Captain Aldrich was an officer of
the same ; Davis and Grover were attorneys-at-
law, and Sharp was also an attorney, and editor of
the Warsaw Signal.

Immediately on announcement of the indict¬
ments, most of the defendants appeared and asked
for an immediate trial. To this the prosecu¬
tion objected, on the ground of not being ready.
The witnesses before the grand jury had been
allowed to go home without being recognized, and
would have to be re-subpoenaed. It was finally
agreed that the causes be postponed to next term,
and that no capias should issue from the clerk in
the interim, if the defendants would pledge them-

AIMESTS, INDICTMENTS, TEIALS. 299

selves to appear at the time agreed on — a compro¬
mise which was afterwards violated by the prosecu¬
tion. Subpoenas were asked for by the prosecution
for thirty or forty witnesses — among whom were
Governor Ford, Mrs. Emma Smith, and John Tay¬
lor — yet none of these were called, or appeared on
the trial.

The trial of these important causes occurred on
May 19, 1845, Hon. Richard M. Young, judge.
Josiah Lamborn, a noted prosecutor of Jackson¬
ville, Illinois, was retained by the Governor to
assist in the prosecution. Hon. William A. Rich¬
ardson of Rushville, Orville II. Browning, Calvin
A. Warren, Archibald Williams, of Quincy, and
Onias C. Skinner and Thomas Morrison, Esquires,
of Hancock, appeared for the defendants. A mo¬
tion of defendants was sustained by the court, to
quash the array of jurors selected for the first week,
on account of supposed prejudice of the County
Commissioners who selected them, and of the
Sheriff and his deputies* ; also another motion for
the appointment of two elisors, for the same cause
and the absence of the Coroner from the county.
The elisors had a thankless and arduous task to
perform. Usually it is not hard to find men willing
to sit on juries ; in this case few were willing to

* Andrew H. Perkins and George Coulson, Commissioners —
both Mormons — and General Minor R. Deming, Sheriff— elected
by Mormon votes.

300

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

try the experiment of going to court with the al¬
most certainty of being rejected by one or the
other party ; and the position was not an enviable
one, if chosen. Ninety-six men were summoned
and brought into court before the requisite panel
of twelve was full. The trial lasted till the 30th,
when the jury was instructed by the court ; and after
a deliberation of several hours, returned a verdict
of Not Guilty.

Various instructions to the jury — as was the prac¬
tice in those days — had been asked for by both
parties. The following, from a list of nine, asked
for by defendants’ counsel, were given, and prob¬
ably had most weight in producing the verdict of
acquittal :

“ That, when the evidence is circumstantial, ad¬
mitting all to be proven which the evidence tends
to prove, if then the jury can make any supposition
consistent with the facts, by which the murder
might have been committed without the agency of
the defendants, it will be their duty to make that
supposition, and find the defendants not guilty.

“ That, in making up their verdict, they will
exclude from their consideration all that was testi¬
fied by Daniels, Brackenbury, and Miss Graham
(witnesses).

“ That, whenever the probability is of a definite
and limited nature, whether in the proportion of
one hundred to one, or of one thousand to one, or
any ratio, is immaterial, it cannot be safely made
the ground of conviction ; for to act upon it in any
case, would be to decide that for the sake of con-

A EKE STS, INDICTMENTS, THIAES. 301

victing many criminals the life of an innocent man
might be sacrificed.” — Starkie, 508.

This trial was for the murder of Joseph Smith
only. The same defendants were required to enter
into recognizance of $5,000 each (with fourteen,
sureties) to the June term. At said term the de¬
fendants appeared, the case was called, and no
prosecutors answering, it was dismissed and the1
defendants discharged.

It has been the custom for sensational writers'
and others to treat this trial and verdict as farcical
and an outrage. It has been charged that the jury,
the court, and the people, all knew that the defend¬
ants were guilty. If all knew it, it ought certainly
and might have been proven. All knew that a
double murder had been committed. There were
some facts not generally taken into account and
not considered by these writers, which tend to
show how extremely difficult it was to find out the
guilty ones. The Mormons had arrested one El¬
liott, the two Laws, two Fosters, and two Higbees at
Rock Island, charged with the offence ; and when
the grand jury was in session, the names of about
sixty persons were presented to them for indict¬
ment. One of these sixty has since informed the
writer that he afterward learned how he had nar¬
rowly escaped indictment, although at home when
the crime was committed. It has since transpired

302

THE PBOPHET OF PALM YEA.

that the evidence before the grand jury was so in¬
conclusive, that they voted first on the whole sixty,
and failing to indict, struck off ten and voted again,
and so on to the last nine, when the indictment
carried. It has also transpired that the bills -were
found against these nine — some as principals and
some as accessories — almost solely on the testi¬
mony of the three -witnesses whose evidence on
the trial the court instructed the petit jury to dis¬
regard.* It has further been said in disparage¬
ment of the jury, that ninety-six men had to be
summoned and questioned before the proper num¬
ber for a jury could be found sufficiently ignorant
and indifferent to fill the place. The writer knew,
from a personal acquaintance with at least six of
that jury, that, instead of being ignorant and indif¬
ferent, they were men of intelligence, probity, and
worth.

Far be it from us to excuse mobbers or mur¬
derers. But we remember that there is a vast dif¬
ference between knowing that a murder has been
committed, and knowing by whom it was done.

* The witnesses Daniels and Brackenbnry dealt largely in
the supernatural in their testimony ; while that of Miss Gra¬
ham, though well-meaning and honest, was contradictory.

STRUGGLE FOR THE SUCCESSIVE. 303

CHAPTER XXXI.

STRUGGLE FOR THE SUCCESSION.

Sidney Rigdon — Brigham Young, Barley P. Pratt, Orson
Pratt, William Smith, Orson Hyde, James J. Strang
— An Ecclesiastical Trial — Hyde on Rigdon.

If anything could be needed to condemn Mor-
monism, and convince the world of its folly and
wickedness, it is to be found in the many quarrels
'and contentions of its leading men, and the vituper¬
ation they heap upon each other when at variance.
During the prophet’s lifetime he was almost con¬
stantly in a quarrel with one or more of his follow¬
ers and former trusted associates, denouncing and
excommunicating them by turns, month after month ,
and then retaking them back to his embrace and
confidence. Poor Martin Harris, who furnished the
means to bring the Book of Mormon before the
world, was placed under the malediction of the
Lord even while the financial question was pend¬
ing, and once or twice afterwards devoted to Satan’s
buffetings. Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer,
whilst in Missouri, were also sent on the same
errand, and the same maledictions sent after them.
The former never came back to seek reconciliation ;

304 THE PROPHET OP PALMY11A.

the latter, while he cannot forgive the blow, yet
licked the hand that smote him. So Rigdon,
Phelps, Williams, McLellin, and numbers of others,
have had their “ bufferings,” then “ repented,” and
returned (most of them) to their old places, or
subordinate ones, in the camp.

After the prophet’s death, as was to be expected,
a great struggle began for the possession of the
mantle that had fallen from his shoulders. The
grief at his death was, no doubt, genuine on the
part of the main body of his followers ; but on the
part of the few, was very much assuaged by the
hope of assuming his place and honors. Rigdon, who
all the world knows had the best right, if any right
existed in the case, was soon sent back to Pittsburgh
a shorn and discomfited man. He had been residing
in that city — sent away from Nauvoo for a purpose
— before the death of the Smiths ; but after that
event, had returned, hoping to secure the leader¬
ship. Though in times past he and Cowdery had
furnished the chief brain supply in fixing up the
creed, he had no talent for organizing and com¬
manding. Brigham Young, who had also been
absent, hastened home, and by his superior ability
soon had the rest of the Twelve under his control,
and working in his interest. Orson Hyde and the
two Pratts were all abler men than he on the plat¬
form, but in the council and among the people he

STRUGGLE FOIi THE SUCCESSION’. 305

was not to be resisted. He was first elected to the
position of Lieutenant-General of the Legion, the
place occupied by the fallen chief ; and step by step
afterwards he attained the first position in the
church.

Rigdon could only succeed in gathering a small
knot of the faithful around him, and their scheme
seems to have been to locate the Zion anew some¬
where in the region of Pittsburgh. This was one of
his fatal errors. The Mormon star had ever tended
westward, and the idea of turning its course back
toward the East was not to be entertained. So
Rigdon was denounced as a disturber of the peace
and an apostate, and a conference called to sit in in¬
quisition over him. The charge against him was —
a little of everything bad ; but the offence for which
he was tried and condemned, though not just so
expressed, was that he wished to be President of
the church. The trial is reported at great length
in the Times and Seasons , and deserves a place in
the history of ecclesiastical tribunals. The vote was
finally put on the motion offered by W. W. Phelps :

“ That Elder Rigdon be cut off from the church,
and delivered over to the buffetings of Satan until
he repents.”

The vote, says the report, “was unanimous,
excepting about ten.” A motion was then made by
some sanguinary member, to cut off the ten by one

306

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

sweep of the axe. This was deemed impolitic, and
tlie motion failed. A better way was found : nine
were taken separately and by name, and on separate
charges, and thus cut off by unanimous votes.
Elder Marks, one of the ten, made a speech in
favor of Rigdon ; but the conference had hopes of
him and he was not expelled. The conference
closed after Elder Young had delivered Rigdon over
to the buffetings of Satan “ in the name of the
Lord,” “ and all the people said Amen ! ”

Mr. Marks showed his appreciation of the leniency
of the conference toward him, by publishing in the
next Times and Seasons a statement that after
candid consideration he had become convinced that
Sidney Rigdon’s claims to the Presidency were not
founded in truth. Rigdon went back to Pittsburgh
a poor and abused man. Aged and infirm, de¬
prived of his rights in the church he had been the
chief instrument in forming, and able to carry but
a small remnant of the people with him, he still
adhered to the faith, and made feeble efforts to
effect a reorganization. Since his death, which
occurred some years since, it is believed his adher¬
ents have principally joined the reorganized branch
under Joseph Smith, the younger.

It is remarkable to observe with what violence
this aged counsellor was pursued by the Twelve,
and the perhaps equal acrimony with which he re-

STRUGGLE FOR THE SUCCESSION. 307

turned their assaults. In an issue of the Neighbor
of December 18, 1844, is to be found an article
under the signature of Orson Hyde, in which the
following language occurs :

“ Mr. Rigdon , do you not remember how you
came into a certain council about the first of April
or latter part of March last, that had been organ¬
ized by Joseph Smith ; and also how you danced
and shouted, and threw your feet so high that you
came well nigh falling backwards upon the stove?
Certainly you must remember this ; for you frothed
at the mouth like a madman, and gave glory to God
so long and loud that you became entirely hoarse
and exhausted. Your song was, ‘ Glory to God
and the Lamb, that I have lived in this time ; Hal¬
lelujah to Jesus, that mine eyes have seen this day ;
and thanks to my brethren that I have been per¬
mitted to enter here, for of a surety God is with
you in power and glory.’ . . . Now you say

that Joseph was a bad man, and has been for a long
time. You say that all the authorities here are base
and wicked. . . . And why are you now

prating against him and the church, giving yourself
the lie and rendering yourself a burlesque upon all
honesty, integrity, consistency, and uprightness?
. . . Your race, sir, is about run; and unless

you speedily repent the hand of God will soon be
heavily upon you. . . . But if you do repent,

you are only damned for this world in the eyes of
men, and may get salvation at last. . . . When

thy memory only lives to be a stink in thy nostrils,
and also in the nostrils of God and his people ;
when thou art as powerless as John C. Bennett, or
Judas Iscariot, then know that you have fought
against Jehovah and lied in his holy name.”

In the Neighbor of December 4, 1844, we find

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

another letter addressed by Hyde to Rigdon from
Cincinnati, through the medium of the New York
Prophet. In this letter, the charge is made by
innuendo that Rigdon was a murderer while in
Missouri, and that he counselled murder for dis¬
obedience to the leaders. Hyde used this lan¬
guage :

“ Elder Rigdon has been associated with Joseph
and Hyrum Smith as a councillor to the church, and
he told me in Far West that it was the imperative
duty of the church to obey the word of Joseph
Smith, or the Presidency, without questioning or
inquiry ; and that if there were any that would not,
they should have their throats cut from ear to ear.
. . . Such kind of language I never heard from

Joseph or Hyrum Smith; [?] neither did they
preach a ‘ Salt Sermon,’ nor tell a ‘ Granny Par¬
rish story,’ nor boast of throwing any one aside
into the hazel bush.” ( !)

And he adds :

“ You have evidence that ever since then I have
looked upon you as a base and wicked tyrant. And
in that character do I now regard you.”

And yet Orson Hyde was a co-worker with Rig¬
don for three years at Nauvoo, knowing, as he says,
that he was a murderer, and an adviser and abettor
of murder. And he is still to this day, in Utah,
upholding and vindicating a Presidency whose first
claim is the unquestioned obedience of its followers.

William Smith, whom everybody called “ Patri-

STBTJGGLE FOR THE SUCCESSION. 309

arch Bill ” (all the Smiths, including the father of
the family, we believe, have enjoyed the partri-
archal perquisites at one time or another) , the only
male member left of the family, also believed that
he had rights to be the successor by virtue of his
kinship, which should be respected, and he also hur¬
ried to Nauvoo to advance his claims. But he was
vacillating and weak, and sadly lacking in the
mental traits necessary for a leader. So he fell
into the meshes of the Twelve and Brigham Young,
and quietly settled down into the business of dis¬
pensing “ Patriarchal Blessings ” for pay, and the
church organ advised the brethren and sisters to
patronize him. But the blessings being of poor
value, or for some other cause, the pay became
unsatisfactory, and he again became troublesome —
quarrelled with and denounced the Twelve — and at
length went and joined the new prophet, Strang,
in Wisconsin. After the leaders had left for the
West, he came back to Nauvoo, thinking there
might be a chance again, and tried to prevent the
remnant from following Brigham Young into the
wilderness. But failing in this, he, Rigdon, and
Strang organized a trinity which succeeded in
drawing together some of the scattered faithful ones.
William is now, we believe, in his old age, an elder
in the branch headed by his nephew.

310

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

About this time, Mr. Saulsbury also, a brother-
in-law to the prophet, though never a prominent
leader, came out against Young and the Twelve in
a letter to the Warsaw Signal, denouncing and
making charges against them, of much the same char¬
acter as Eigdon and Law and Bennett had done.

But, through it all, Brigham Young maintained
his supremacy over the Twelve and the people ; a
supremacy which he held as long as they remained in
Illinois, all through their long and perilous journey
in the wilderness, and for more than a quarter of
a century afterwards in their sequestered mountain
home. Joseph Smith, in the fourteen years that
he had lived as a prophet, with the aid of Harris,
Cowdery, Eigdon, Pratt, and others, had succeeded
in building up a crude system and bringing together
a few thousands of discontented and marvel-seek¬
ing spirits. It was Young who, through the ordeal
of suffering and sorrow and death — an ordeal
which fed the coyotes of the plains and wilderness
with human flesh, and whitened a long trail with
human bones — established a power in the heart
of the continent, strong enough to defy the gov¬
ernment and laugh at all efforts to control it.
Since his death, it has fallen under the guidance
of far weaker hands. Had it not been for his
influence at the death of the prophet, there is rea-

STRUGGLE FOR THE SUCCESSION'. 311

son to believe that Mormonism, instead of being
now a monster in Utah, would be divided into
as many isms in the States as there were ambi¬
tious leaders to fulminate a prophecy or originate
a creed.

312 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXXH.

A NEW PROPHET - JAMES J. STRANG.

Strang’s Claim to the Succession— His Revelation — Sets
up at Yokee — He, too, Finds Plates— His Arrogance
and Pretensions— ‘Arrested for Treason — Tried and
Acquitted— A Polygamist— His Violent Death — Fate
of Mormon Prophets.

Mr. Strang was also a New Yorker, the son of
a farmer, but had taught school, lectured, and stud¬
ied law. He drifted to the West, and was engaged
in practice in Burlington, Wisconsin. Smith’s seem¬
ing success at Nauvoo attracted his attention, and
he came to that city early in 1844, joined the church
and was baptized, and was at once ordained an
elder. He chose Wisconsin for his field of opera¬
tions. Although he had been a convert but a few
months, he was at the prophet’s death ambitious
of prophetic honors and emoluments, and claimed
the right of succession on ground different from
that of any of the other aspirants — that of appoint¬
ment from the Lord, through Smith himself, com¬
municated to him by letter from Nauvoo only a few

A NEW PROPHET.

313

days before Smith was killed. That revelation read
in part as follows :

“And now, behold, my servant James J. Strang
hath come to thee from far, for truth, when he knew
it not, and hath not rejected it, but had faith in
thee, the Shepherd and Stone of Israel, and to him
shall the gathering of the people be ; for he shall
plant a stake of Zion in Wisconsin, and I will es¬
tablish it, and there shall my people have peace and
rest, and shall not be moved, for it shall be estab¬
lished on White River, in the lands of Racine and
Walworth. . . . And I will have a house built

unto me of stone, and there will I show myself to
my people by many mighty works ; and the name
of the city shall be called Voree, which is, being
interpreted, Garden of Peace — for there shall my
people have peace and rest, and wax fat and pleas¬
ant in presence of their enemies.”

Strang was able to exhibit a letter envelope with
the proper Nauvoo post-mark and date, in proof of
his claim ; yet the time, the occasion, the circum¬
stance, and even the style, strongly tend to the
conclusion that it was all a forgery, and never
emanated from Smith at all. Whether a forgery
or not, he proceeded to cany out the purpose
therein foreshadowed. Through his whole after
career he servilely followed in Smith’s footsteps,
imitated his methods, and ended his inglorious
career in much the same manner. At Voree he
planted the “ Stake of Zion,” began prophesying,
obtaining revelations, and secured a band of fol¬
lowers. He also issued a small monthly organ,

314

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

called the Vbree Herald. Not to be outdone by
his predecessor, he had some plates revealed to
him — the proof of which is to be found in the fol¬
lowing :

TESTIMONY OF FOUR WITNESSES.

“ On the 13th day of September, 1845, we, Aaron
Smith, Jirah B. Wheelan, James M. Van Nostrand,
and Edward Whitcomb, — assembled at the call of
James J. Strang, who is by us and many others
approved as a prophet and seer of God. He pro¬
ceeded to inform us that it had been revealed to
him in a vision that an account of an ancient people
was buried, in a hill south of White River bridge,
near the east line of Walworth County ; and leading
us to an oak tree about one foot in diameter, told
us that we could find it enclosed in a case of rude
earthenware under that tree, at a depth of about
three feet ; requested us to dig it up, and charged
us to examine the ground, that wre should know we
were not imposed upon, and that it bad not been
buried since the tree grew. The tree was sur¬
rounded by a sward of deeply-rooted grass, such as
is usually found in the openings, and upon the most
critical examination we could not discover any indi¬
cation that it had ever been cut through or dis¬
turbed.

“ We then dug up the tree, and continued to dig
to the depth of about three feet, where wre found
a case of slightly baked clay containing three plates
of brass. On one side of one is a landscape viewr
of the south end of Gardner’s prairie, and the range
of hills where they were dug. On another is a man
with a crown on his head, and a sceptre in his hand ;
above, is an eye before an upright line ; below, the
sun and moon surrounded by twelve stars ; at the

A NEW PROPHET.

315

bottom are twelve large stars, from three of which
pillars arise, and closely interspersed with them are
seven very small stars. The other four sides are
very closely covered with what appear to be alpha¬
betic characters, but in a language of which we
have no knowledge.

“The case was found imbedded in indurated
clay so closely fitting that it broke in taking out,
and the earth belowr the soil was so hard as to be
dug with difficulty, even with a pick-axe. Over
the case was found a flat stone about one foot wide
each way and three inches thick, which appeared to
have undergone the action of fire, and fell to pieces
after a few7 minutes’ exposure to the air. The dig¬
ging extended in the clay about eighteen inches,
there being two kinds of earth of different color and
appearance above it.

“We examined as we dug, all the way w’ith the
utmost care, and we say, with utmost confidence,
that no part of the earth through which w e dug
exhibited any sign or indication that it had been
moved or disturbed at any previous time. The
roots of the tree struck down very closely on every
side, extending below7 the case, and closely inter¬
woven with roots from other trees. None of
them had been broken or cut away. No clay is
found in the country like that of which this case is
made.

“In fine, we found an alphabetic and pictorial
record, carefully cased up, buried deep in the
earth, covered writh a flat stone, with an oak tree
one foot in diameter growing over it, with every
evidence that the sense can give that it has lain as
long as that tree has been growing. Strang took
no part in the digging, but kept entirely away from
before the first blow was struck till after the plates
were taken out of the case ; and the sole inducement
to our differing was our faith in his statement as a

316 THE P BOP BET OF PALMYBA.

prophet of the Lord, that a record would thus and
there be found.

•Aaron Smith, J. M. Yan Nostrand,

Jirah B. Wheelan, Edward Whitcomb.”

These three plates our Wisconsin prophet did not
at once proceed to translate, as the box contained
no “ Urim and Thummim”to aid him — a negli¬
gence on the part of the later Nephi or Moroni, for
which it is hard to account. At a subsequent day,
however, eighteen more plates were vouchsafed
him, which he called the plates of Laban — strangely
forgetful of the fact, that the plates of Laban, stolen
and carried off by the sons of Lehi, had been de¬
posited, together with his sword, in Cumorah Hill
in the State of New York. An angel brought him
a “Urim and Thummim” at length, and in due
course of time all were translated, from what lan¬
guage we do not learn. The three are thus ren¬
dered :

“ My people are no more. The mighty are
fallen, and the young men are slain in battle.
Their bones are bleached on the plains, by the noon¬
day shadow. The houses are level with the dust,
and in the moat are the walls : They shall be inhab¬
ited. I have in the burial served them ; and their
bones in the death-shade toward the sun’s rising
are covered. They sleep with the mighty dead,
and they rest with their fathers. They have fallen
in transgression, and are not ; but the elect and
faithful there shall dwell.

“ The Word hath revealed it. God hath sworn

A NEW PROPHET.

317

to give an inheritance to his people where trans¬
gressors perished. The Word of God came to me
while I mourned in the death-shade, saying I will
avenge me on the destroyed. They shall be driven
out. Other strangers shall inhabit thy land. I an
ensign will then set up. The escaped of my peo¬
ple there shall dwell, when the flock disowns the
Shepherd and build not on the rock.

“ The forerunner men shall kill, but a mighty
prophet there shall dwell. I will be his strength,
and he shall bring forth the I’ecord. Record my
Word, and bury it in the Hill of Promise.

“(Signed),

“ Rajah Manchore.”

The remaining plates were translated from time
to time, and published under the title of:

“ The Book of the Law of the Lord,

“ Consisting of an Inspired Translation of Some
of the Most Important Parts of the Law given
to Moses , and a Very Few Additional Com¬
mandments, with Brief Notes and References .”

All this, it will be seen, was a feeble imitation of
Smith’s methods, which had been so successful
fifteen years before ; the testimony, however, to
the discovery of the plates lacked the angelic and
the impossible element, and hence was less success¬
ful. But it was not without its results. Quite a
colony of believers was formed at Voree, and after
a time transferred to Beaver Island in Lake Mich¬
igan. Here it greatly increased in numbers ; and
assuming the same arrogant pretensions adopted

318

THE PE OP BET OF PALMYBA.

by the elder prophet, Strang also became mimic;
to his neighbors and to the government. Strifes
and discord ensued ; he was arrested for treason
by order of the United States authorities, taken
to Detroit, tried, and acquitted. Returning to
Beaver Island, his aggressive career was re¬
sumed. He was finally murdered by some of his
apostate followers in 1856 — after which the col¬
ony dispersed ; and at this day little is heard
of the Prophet Strang, his plates, his translations,
his prophecies, his dishonored life, or tragical
death.

Following openly the example set him clandes¬
tinely at Nauvoo, he, too, was a polygamist,
and is said to have had five or six wives at his
death. As in the case of his more successful pro¬
totype, the assumption of infallible kingly and
priestly power, the gathering to one holy Zion, and
the disobedience to law, were the rocks on which
he was wrecked.

The office of “ Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,”
in the Mormon system, has been a dangerous one.
All but one who have occupied it have met tragical
fates. First, Joseph Smith, its inventor — mur¬
dered by a mob in an Illinois jail in 1844 ; second,
Strang — shot on an island in Lake Michigan ; and,
third, Morris — butchered as an apostate among

A NEW PPOPHET.

319

the mountain fastnesses of Utah in 1862 ; — terri¬
ble, but not unnatural, results from lives of wicked¬
ness and blasphemy. Who would be a Mormon
Prophet !

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA..

CHAPTER XXXIII.

MORE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED.

Three Obnoxious Officials— Arrest of Senator Davis—
Nauvoo Charter Repealed — Increase of Theft-
Murder of Miller and Leiza — Of Irvine Hodge — Ob
Col. Davenport— Of Dr. Marshall — Death of Sheriff
Deming— Burning of Morley-Town— Killing of Lieut.
Worrell — Of McBratney — Incident of the Burning
— Killing of Wilcox and Daubenheyer — Arrival of
Col. Hardin with State Troops.

The year 1844 was one of disorder and blood
in Hancock County : but that of 1845 was more
bloody still. At the August election of 1844,
three very obnoxious men had been elected to
office : Almon W. Babbitt, a Mormon attorney,
and Jacob B, Backenstos, one of those much-hated
men known as Jack-Mormons, to the Legisla¬
ture ; and General Minor It. Deming to the office
of Sheriff.

As before stated, the agreement entered into that
no arrests should be made of the parties under in¬
dictment for the murder of the Smiths, was violated
by the prosecution, and frequent attempts were
made to arrest some of them during the winter by
the Sheriff and his deputies. Jacob C. Davis,

MORE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 321

one of them, was a Senator in the State Legis¬
lature, and at the opening of the session he
took his seat in that body. During the winter he
was arrested at the Capital by an officer from Han¬
cock County ; but was ordered released by a reso¬
lution of the Senate.

During the session a move was made to repeal
the charter of the city of Nauvoo, and on January
21, 1845, the measure passed the House of Repre¬
sentatives by a vote of 76 yeas to 36 nays. It
subsequently passed the Senate by a large majority.
The repeal was strenuously opposed by both Bab¬
bitt and Backenstos — by the latter in a violent
speech, which greatly incensed the Anti-Mormon
community against him.

During the winter and spring — as a result of the
unsettled condition of affairs at Nauvoo, and the con¬
sequent hard times — there was an unusual amount
of stealing done, not only in the city but in other
parts of the county. It extended also to Adams,
Henderson, and other adjoining counties. In
Adams, where arrests could be made, there were as
many as eight Mormons in jail at one time for
these petty offences. In the city the two parties,
“ Twelveites ” and “ Rigdonites,” charged the of¬
fences to each other. The nuisance became so in¬
supportable, that public meetings were held at va¬
rious points to devise means of protection and re-

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYRA.

dress. Township committees were appointed to
collect statistics of these thefts for publication,
which was done, footing up hundreds of dollars in
some townships. Some of these reports, there is
reason to believe, were exaggerated ; but as many
must have been omitted, it is safe to say the totals
did not exceed the truth. Of course, it was not
proven, or even known, that these depredations
were all committed by Mormons, and they probably
were not. The suggestion has been often made
that much of this thieving may have been done on
Mormon credit ; which, in itself, is an admission
against them ; but that a large per cent, of it was
perpetrated by members of that fraternity, all cir-
cumstances go to show. And events that trans¬
pired this year, show that they harbored among
them men who did not hesitate at robbery and
assassination.

On Saturday night, May 10, 1845, a horrible
robbery and murder was committed near the town
of Franklin, Lee County, Iowa, on the persons of
John Miller, a Mennonite German minister from
Pennsylvania, and Mr. Leiza, his son-in-law. The
latter was not killed, but died of his wounds soon
afterwards. The locality is about ten or twelve
miles from Nauvoo, across the Mississippi, and the
murderers, three in number, were traced to that
city. Their names were William Hodge, Stephen

MORE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 323

Hodge (brothers) , and Thomas Brown . The Hodges
were arrested on the 13th, and conveyed to the
Iowa penitentiary at Fort Madison for safe-keeping.
On the 15th, they were indicted by the grand jury
in the Lee district court, then in session at West
Point, and on the 21st were arraigned for trial.
They asked for a change of venue, and the cause
was certified to Des Moines County. On the 21st
of June they were put upon their trial at Bur¬
lington. They were defended by J. C. Hall and
F. D. Mills, two eminent attorneys of the Bur¬
lington bar, and by Geo. Edmunds, Esq. , of Nauvoo.
The trial lasted about a week and ended in a ver¬
dict of Guilty. Judge Mason sentenced them to
the gallows, and on the 15th of July they were duly
executed.

On the night of the 23d of June, Irvine Hodge,
brother to the accused, was assassinated in Nauvoo,
while on his way home from a visit to his doomed
brothers in the Burlington jail. He had, it was
said, endeavored to induce Brigham Young to send
and have his brothers rescued from jail ; and failing,
had been free in denouncing his chief for refusing
to authorize the raid. But little notice was taken
in Nauvoo of this murder ; no arrests were made,
and no one was ever brought to trial for the crime.
The perpetrator or the purpose of this murder
may never be known. The “Patriarch” William

324

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Smith's ietter to the Scingamo Journal , elated Sep¬
tember 24, 1846, may throw some light on the
subject :

“ Irvine Hodge was murdered within twelve feet
of Brigham Young’s door. Amos Hodge, it is said,
was murdered between Montrose and Nashville,
Iowa [two towns across the river from Nauvoo] ,
by Brigham Young’s guard, who pretended to escort
him out of Nauvoo for his safety, under cover
of women’s clothes — who then pretended that he
had run away. ... If Mr. Amos Hodge, the
father of these young Hodges, will call and see
me, I can tell him the names of persons that will
put him on the track of the men who murdered his
sons.”

But why did not Mr. Smith communicate those
names to the grand jury, in order that the perpe¬
trators of those secret crimes might be brought to
justice? And why has he these long years since
withheld from the public and the authorities his
knowledge of the matter ? Whatever he may have
been then, he claims to be now a law-abiding man
and good citizen, yet we never heard that he has
ever given any other information concerning it, than
is contained by innuendo in that letter.* .

On the trial of the Hodge brothers at Burlington,
the accused made an affidavit for witnesses to prove
an alibi, claiming to rely upon the testimony of five

* At the present writing, we believe Mr. Smith is still living,
and occupying a position of distinction in the Beorganized
Church.

MO BE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 325

or six named residents of Nauvoo, and upon that of
John Long, Aaron Long, and Judge Fox, who,
they said, resided in St. Louis. These names will
be remembered in the annals of Mormon crime as
the parties who, a few days later, perpetrated the
murder of Colonel Davenport at Rock Island.

Colonel Davenport had many years before been
connected with the United States army, and on
leaving the service, had acquired and made a home
contiguous to Fort Armstrong, on that beauti¬
ful island in the Mississippi. The murder was com¬
mitted on the 4th of July, 1845, whilst all the family
except himself were attending a celebration on the
mainland in Illinois. He was an aged and quite
infirm man, and was quietly sitting in his house
reading, when he was attacked by the robbers.
Rising to approach the door, at which he heard a
noise, it was pushed open, and three men entered,
one of whom discharged a pistol at him, the ball
entering his thigh. He was then dragged through
the hall and up-stairs to a closet containing his safe,
which they compelled him to open. After obtain¬
ing its contents and money from his bureau draw¬
ers, they left him, still tied upon his bed, and
bleeding from his wounded thigh and beatings he
had received. In this condition he was some time
afterwai’ds found. Surgical aid was procured as
soon as possible from the town of Rock Island, and

326

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

he was revived sufficiently to describe the assassins
and the circumstances ; but he died about ten o’clock
the same evening.

A reward of $1,500 was offered for the arrest and
conviction of the murderers by his son, George L.
Davenport; and John Long, Aaron Long, and
Granville Young, were finally arrested, tried, and
hung for the offence. Judge Fox was also arrested,
but made his escape ; while a fifth one, named Birch,
— a daring desperado, said to have been connected
with the Danite Band, and probably the worst of
the five — escaped punishment by turning State’s
evidence.

During this year, also, numerous minor acts of
robbery and theft were committed in Lee County,
Iowa, and along the river, traceable in almost all
cases to a gang of desperadoes having their head-
quarters in Nauvoo.

While these acts of violence were being perpe¬
trated out of the county, a most lamentable tragedy
was enacted at home. On June 24th, an alterca¬
tion occurred in the court-house in Carthage, be¬
tween Dr. Samuel Marshall, the County Clerk, and
the Sheriff of the county, General Minor R. Deming,
which resulted in the death of the former at the
hand of the latter. The difficulty arose about some
trivial official business. Dr. Marshall was a man
of very exact and punctual habits in all his affairs,

MODE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 327

and he desired others to be equally so ; and the Sher¬
iff’s seeming neglect of certain duties irritated him.
A scuffle ensued, in which the General drew a pistol
and shot his antagonist. The affair was an unfor¬
tunate one, as it caused the deaths of two reputable
men and good officers, who, in ordinary times,
might have been friends, and added greatly to the
excitement already existing. Dr. Marshall was a
strong Anti-Mormon in his feelings and principles,
and had the full confidence of the party ; yet he
resolutely refused to sanction any of their unlawful
proceedings. He was one of a number in the
county — far too few — who believed it better to
suffer all the ills resulting from Mormonism, rather
than resort to illegal and violent measures for re¬
dress.

General Deming was taken into custody, and the
circuit court being in session, was indicted for
manslaughter by the grand jury. A continuance
was had and he was released on bail. But he was
never brought to trial. He retired to his home in
the country, where he was soon afterwards stricken
with a congestive fever, no doubt brought on or
aggravated by excitement, and he died September
10, 1845. He was succeeded in the office of Sheriff
by the aforesaid J. B. Backenstos at a special elec¬
tion, by the following vote — Backenstos, 2,334 •
John Scott (Anti-Mormon Democrat), 750.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

In the autumn of this year (1845), a series of
events occurred which had no warrant in law or
order, and which must be condemned by every good
citizen and friend of good government. They had
for their object the forcible expulsion of the whole
Mormon community from the county and State.
The disorders at Nauvoo, the vast amount of thiev¬
ing and other depredations upon property, the
many murders in the vicinity, and the consequent
feeling of fear and insecurity everywhere, were
offered in vindication by those who approved the
measures. And while not accepting the reasoning
as good, the writer dismisses the point by asking
those who condemn : What would have been your
remedy under the circumstances ?

On the night of September 9th, a meeting of
Anti-Mormons was being held for some purpose at
a school-house in Green Plains, when it was fired
upon by some party in the bush. A village of
Mormons, known as Morley-Town, was located in
the near neighborhood. It was at once resolved to
begin the expulsion of the people from said village
and vicinity. This resolve was put in execution
the next night, when two cabins were burned and
the inmates notified to leave the settlement. For
a week the burning continued, until the whole of
the little village was in ashes, together witli many
other residences in the Bear Creek and Green

MORE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 320

Plains region. In all, it is stated that as many as
one hundred or one hundred and twenty-five houses
were burned, and their occupants driven off.

For humanity’s sake, we are glad to be able to
record the fact that this great destruction of prop¬
erty was accompanied by very little violence or
personal ill-treatment. Indeed, much of it was
done in an orderly and peaceable manner, as though
its perpetrators had warrant of law for their con¬
duct. From a History of Hancock County — 1880,
we quote the following :

“From a very respectable old gentleman (now
deceased), who was a witness of some of the house¬
burning operations in the fall of 1845, we have the
following statement received from him verbally,
during the last year. He says that for such lawless
and outrageous acts, they were done in such a quiet
and orderly manner as to be astonishing. He re¬
sided not far from some of the houses that were
burned ; and hearing what was going on, he
mounted his horse and rode to where the work was
in progress. . . .

“ The manner was to go to a house and warn the
inmates out — that they were going to burn it.
Usually there would be no show of resistance ; but
all hands, burners and all, would proceed to take
out the goods and place them out of danger. When
the goods were all securely removed, the torch
would be applied and the house consumed. Then
on to another. . . . As an evidence of the

coolness and good temper in which this work was
done, our informant relates the following, to which
he says he was an eye-witness. While the burners
were engaged in burning a certain house, a young

330 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

woman belonging to the family, standing and look¬
ing on, felt an inclination to smoke, and asked one
of the burners for some tobacco. Having none
himself, he pointed to one of his comrades, and said
he would give her some. She approached the other ;
he unconcernedly put his hand in his pocket,
handed her the tobacco, from which she took what
she wanted, and handed it back ; when he went on
with the work in hand, and she proceeded to
smoke ! ”

These burnings produced intense excitement all
over the county. Numbers collected from differ¬
ent quarters to join the rioters. Sheriff Backenstos
endeavored to raise a posse among the old citizens
to suppress the disturbances, but such was the
hatred in which he was held outside of Nauvoo,
that his efforts entirely failed. He thereupon issued
a proclamation dated at Green Plains, on the 13th,
calling on the rioters to desist, and upon the posse
comitatus of the county to assist him. He also
stated that it was his policy to have the Monnons
remain quiet ; but that two thousand armed men
held themselves in readiness in Nauvoo to come to
his assistance when necessary. Failing to obtain
a force outside of the city, he resorted to these, and
soon succeeded in dispersing the rioters. On the
16th, Lieutenant Franklin A. Worrell, of the Car¬
thage Greys, was killed by a small squad of his
posse while crossing the prairie, in no way con¬
nected with the burners; and on the 17th, Samuel
McBratney, one of the burners, was killed.

MODE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 331

Sheriff Backenstos, at the head of his large force,
now had the county under his control. On the
19th, at sun-down, at the head of several hundred
men, he rode into Carthage, surrounded the place,
and ordered all the citizens to be arrested and
brought to headquarters in the court-house. He
said he was in quest of criminals. After roughly
handling those most obnoxious to him, and searching
their houses for arms, most of them were set at lib¬
erty. In the morning the main force was with¬
drawn, fifty men being left to guard the place.
These remained in possession of the court-house
some days, until the arrival of General Hardin with
a force of State troops sent by the Governor, when
they were summarily dismissed.

Backenstos and the notorious O. P. Rockwell
of Danite memory, were both subsequently indicted
for. the murder of Worrell, and both acquitted —
the former under trial by change of venue at Peoria,
and the latter at Galena. Who was the actual
guilty party may never be known. We have
recently been informed from Salt Lake, by a party
in a position to know, that Rockwell did the
deed under the Sheriffs order, which is probably
true.

Two other murders were committed about this
time by Mormons — one in Nnuvoo and the other in
Camp Creek settlement. On the 16th, Phineas

332

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Wilcox, a young man from St. Mary’s township,
went into the city on business ; was there charged
with being a spy, and was never afterwards seen
by his friends. Circumstances strongly showed
that he had been murdered and thrown into the
river. The other case — that of Andrew Dauben-
heyer — was equally mysterious for a time. He
resided in the Camp Creek neighborhood, and was
known as an active Anti-Mormon. On the 18th
of September, he started to Carthage with a two-
horse wagon-load of provisions, which, it is said,
were intended for the rioters. On the evening of
the 20th, he left Carthage on horse-back for his
home, which he never reached ; but on the morning
of the 21st, his horse came home without him.
On his road home was an encampment of the
Sheriffs posse, and the belief was that he had been
waylaid and killed by them. Search being after¬
wards made, his body was found buried near the
place of encampment.

Going back to the origin of the burning : It has
been charged by the Mormons and their friends,
that the firing on the school-house at Green Plains
was a sham — a scheme previously arranged by the
mobbers to create a sympathy in their behalf, and
furnish an excuse for the contemplated raid.
Whether this be true or not, circumstances exist¬
ing at the time render it extremely probable. It

MODE VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED. 333

is hardly to be supposed that the Mormons in that
remote settlement from the city, and at a time of
so much excitement against them, could be so ag¬
gressive as to commit such an act.

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

NINE COUNTIES INTERFERE - THE END APPROACHING.

Colonel Hardin and His Advisers — Major Warren Left
in Command — Convention of Nine Counties — Brown¬
ing’s Resolutions— Action of the Convention — Cor¬
respondence with the Mormon Leaders— The Inev¬
itable Accepted.

As on former occasions, these excesses called for
executive interference. Accordingly, Governor
Ford again sent a force of volunteers into the
county, and again under command of that brave
and sagacious officer and statesman, Colonel John
J. Hardin. He was accompanied by Attorney-
General John A. McDougal, Judge Stephen A.
Douglas, and Major Wm. B. Warren, as advisers.
On the arrival of these with a strong body of
troops, everything became quiet. On the 27tli
of September, General Hardin issued a proclama¬
tion to the people of the county, enjoining them
to keep the peace and obey the laws and con¬
stituted authorities. In conjunction with his ad¬
visers, he visited Nauvoo and entered into a cor¬
respondence with the authorities of the Mormon
people, which resulted in their agreeing to leave
the county and State in the following spring ; after

NINE COUNTIES INTERFERE. 333

which he withdrew the main body of his forces,
leaving Major Warren in the county to maintain
the peace, with a detachment of about one hundred
men, to remain until withdrawn by the Governor.
To the discreet action and gentlemanly behavior of
Major Warren and his officers and men, during the
winter, the county was much indebted for the good
order that reigned.*

Previous to General Hardin’s arrival, the people
of the surrounding counties, in view of the dis¬
turbed condition of the county of Hancock, and
becoming alarmed for their own safety, determined
to hold a convention to take the subject into consid¬
eration. That convention may be regarded as a
turning point in the affairs of the county. It was
held at Carthage on the first and second days of
October, and was composed of representative and
earnest men of high standing in the nine counties
of Adams, Brown, Pike, Schuyler, Marquette, Mc¬
Donough, Warren, Knox, and Henderson — Han¬
cock being purposely excluded. Fifty delegates
were reported. Hon. Orville H. Browning, of
Adams, moved for a committee of three from
each county to prepare and report resolutions ;

* These troops belonged principally to the Qnincy Riflemen,
an independent company composed of young men of the highest
character in that city— two of whose officers. Captain James
D. Morgan and Lieutenant Benjamin M. Prentiss, did conspic¬
uous service later as Generals in the war for the Union.

THE PHOPIIET OF PALMYRA.

and afterwards, as chairman, presented a series,
of which we introduce only two, as embracing
the sense of the convention on the points men¬
tioned :

“ Resolved , That it is the settled and deliberate
conviction of this convention, that it is now too
late to attempt the settlement of the difficulties in
Hancock County upon any other basis than that of
the removal of the Mormons from the State; and we
therefore accept, and respectfully recommend to
the people of the surrounding counties to accept,
the proposition made by the Mormons to remove
from the State next spring, and to wait with patience
the time for removal.

“ Resolved, That we utterly repudiate the impu¬
dent assertion, so often and so constantly put forth
by the Mormons, that they are persecuted for right¬
eousness' sake. We do not believe them to be a
persecuted people. We know that they are not;
but that whatever grievances they may suffer are
the necessary and legitimate consequences of their
illegal, wicked, and dishonest acts.”

At the distance of more than forty years from
the date when the sentiment, as contained in the
first of these resolutions, was uttered, it reads
strangely that such a body of men could be induced
to sanction the entire expulsion of ten or twelve
thousand people from a State where they were
making their homes. And yet that resolution passed
unanimously, and was applauded and accepted by
nine-tenths of the fifty or sixty thousand people of

NINE COUNTIES INTERFERE.

337

the nine counties that convention represented . Every
reader of these pages must agree that there is some¬
thing radically wrong in the laws or their admin¬
istration or in the state of society that renders such
a thing possible. The writer of this was a spec¬
tator at that convention, and he testifies to the high
character of its members, and knows with what pru¬
dence and earnestness its deliberations were con¬
ducted ; but whether the circumstances at the time
existing were sufficient to justify such action, or
whether they can exist, is a problem he prefers
to leave with the reader. The other resolution,
however, met with his entire assent. And here
attention is called to the fact, that when the Mor¬
mons first made their appearance in Illinois, six
years before, all these people sympathized with
them, and believed their story of persecution. Mr.
Browning* was especially eloquent in denouncing
the “ Border Ruffians ” of Missouri, for their treat¬
ment of these so-called persecuted and inoffensive
people. And what could have produced the change ?
It is preposterous to say that a whole community
would — or could — in the short space of six years,
from being warm sympathizers with, and aiders and
helpers of, an innocent people, turn around and

* Hon. O. H. Browning was a resident of Quincy, a leading
and able member of the Bar — and afterwards held the position
of United States Senator and Secretary of the Interior.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

become themselves their persecutors. The fact
exists, as clear as sunlight, that every word of this
second resolution is true. It has been true ever
since the feeble cry of “ persecution ” was uttered
by the embryo-prophet at Palmyra down to this
convention ; and since, through the dreadful scenes
in the wilderness, till it was stifled in the shrieks
and cries of defenceless women and children at
Mountain Meadows and Springville. Yet the cry
of “ Persecution ! ” and “ Let us alone ! ” is still
heard on every hand, and echoed through the press
of the country.

The action of this convention had a quieting effect
on the public, and no doubt satisfied Inany waver¬
ing minds that the conclusion to which it arrived,
was the only one that would give peace. And the
Mormons also accepted it as inevitable, and earn¬
estly prepared to act accordingly. As a basis
for the subsequent action of both parties, the cor¬
respondence heretofore mentioned is here repro¬
duced :

“Nauvoo, Oct. 1, 1845.

‘ ‘ To the First President and Council of the Church
at Nauvoo :

‘ ‘ Having had a free and full conversation with you
■this day, in reference to your proposed removal
from this county, together with the members of
your Church, we have to request you to submit the
facts and intentions stated to us in said conversa-

NINE COUNTIES INTEBFEBE. 339

tion to writing, in order that we may lay them
before the Governor and People of the State. We
hope that by so doing it will have a tendency to
allay the excitement at present existing in the public
mind. We have the honor to subscribe ourselves,
“ Respectfully yours, etc.,

John J. Harden,

S. A. Douglas,

W. B. Warren,

J. A. McDougal.”

To which the following reply was received :

“Nauvoo, Oct. 1, 1845.

“ To Gen. John J. Hardin, 8. A. Douglas, W.

B. Warren and J. A. McDougal :

1 ‘ Messrs : In reply to your letter of this date
requesting us to ‘ submit the facts and intentions
stated by us to writing, in order that you may lay
them before the Governor and People of the State,’
we would refer you to a communication of the 24th
ultimo, to the ‘ Quincy Committee,’ a copy of which
is herewith enclosed.

“ In addition to this we would say, that we had
commenced making arrangements to remove from
this county previous to the recent disturbances ;
that we now have four companies organized of one
hundred families each, and six more companies now
organizing of the same number each, preparatory
to removal. That one thousand families, including
the Twelve, the High Council, the Trustees and
general authorities of the Church, are fully deter¬
mined to x-emove in the spring, independent of the
contingency of selling our property, — and that this
company will comprise from five to six thousand
souls.

“ That the Church, as a body, desires to remove

340 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

with us, and will, if sales can be effected, so as to
raise the necessary means.

‘ ‘ That the organization of the Church we repre¬
sent is such, that there never can exist but one head
or Presidency at any one time, and all good mem¬
bers wish to be with the organization ; and all are
determined to remove to some distant point ivhete
we shall neither infringe or be infringed upon, so
soon as time and means will permit.

“ That we have some hundreds of farms and
some two thousand or more houses for sale in this
city and county, and we request all good citizens
to assist in the disposal of our property.

‘ ‘ That we do not expect to find purchasers for
our Temple and other public buildings ; but we are
willing to rent them to a respectable community
who may inhabit the city.

“ That we wish it distinctly understood, that,
although we may not find purchasers for our prop¬
erty, we will not sacrifice or give it away, or suffer
it illegally to be wrested from us.

‘ ‘ That we do not intend to sow any wheat this
fall, and should we all sell we shall not put in any
more crops of any description.

‘ ‘ That as soon as practicable we will appoint com¬
mittees for this city, La Harpe, Macedonia, Bear
Creek, and all necessary places in the county, to
give information to purchasers.

“ That if these testimonies are not sufficient to
satisfy any people that we are in earnest, we will
soon give them a sign that cannot be mistaken — we
will leave them!

, “In behalf of the Council,

“ Respectfully yours, etc.,

“ Brigham Young, '

‘ ‘ President.

“Wiluard Richards, Clerk!

NINE COUNTIES INTEBFEBE.

341

The communication to the Quincy Committee
was of similar import, but referred particularly
and in eloquent terms to their sufferings and
grievances, here and elsewhere, and begged to be
let alone.

342

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

Active Preparations for Leaving — Crossing into Iowa
— Major Warren and His Force — Disbanded and Re¬
mustered — 0. P. Rockwell — Arrest, Trial, and Ac¬
quittal— Dr. Picket— Posse Under Carlin— Major
Parker’s Force— War of Proclamations — Singleton’s
Peace — Resigns the Command — Major Brockman Suc¬
ceeds — Advance toward the City.

In accordance with the pledge given to General
Hardin and his associates by Brigham Young on
behalf of the church, active preparations were made
in Nauvoo during the winter to remove in the spring.
Those residing in the country made sales of prop¬
erty as fast as they could, and retired to the city
in order to join the expeditions. Large numbers
of wagons and teams were obtained by exchange
for other property ; many vehicles were manufac¬
tured in the city, and horses and oxen were in great
demand. Although it had been announced through
their correspondence that property would not be
sacrificed, there can be no doubt but many distress¬
ing sacrifices were made — especially of such prop¬
erty as could not be rendered available for the pur¬
poses of the expedition.

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

During all this period, it does not appear that
any ‘ ‘ Land of Promise ” had been decided on to
which they were to wend their way ; the main pur¬
pose being to get to some uninhabited region,
where they could “ neither infringe or be infringed
upon.” The nearest, the easiest, the quickest way
to do that, in the judgment of Young and the lead¬
ers, was to cross the Mississippi into the territory
of Iowa, and follow the setting sun. This seemed
to be the plan that would most cei-tainly keep their
followers together, and hold them in complete sub¬
jection to their leader’s will. And the rank and
file set out on the journey with the heroism of
martyrs — not knowing whither, or the trials they
were to undergo ; believing only that in so doing
they were obeying the commands of the Most
High.

As early as February 10th, the weather having
been favorable, it was stated that as many as one
thousand persons, including most of the Twelve,
and many of the other dignitaries of the church,
had crossed into Iowa, and were on their way west¬
ward. As spring advanced, they were still leaving
in large numbers ; though the advance had not
reached beyond Keosauqua, on the Des Moines
river, some sixty miles away; from which point
they kept up a constant intercourse with the city.
The adherents of Higdon, Strang, and Patriarch

344 THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

William Smith remained behind, agreeing in their
denunciations of the Twelve, and in censure of the
western movement.

In April, 1846, Major Warren had orders from
Governor Ford to disband, and withdraw his force
on the first of May. He and his faithful volunteers
had their headquarters at Carthage all winter, and
had performed many arduous and delicate duties in
preservation of the peace, arresting offenders, and
executing writs. Their aid had been invoked on
all sides, in all parts of the county ; and they had
been employed on numerous occasions in Nauvoo
in the execution of process. They had been braved
and threatened and insulted, even to violent resist¬
ance in that city; but they on all occasions exhib¬
ited a prudence, firmness, and judgment which
entitled them to the regard of all good citizens.

The contemplated withdrawal of the guard, to¬
gether with indications at Nauvoo, gave general
uneasiness to the people. It began to be feared
that many of the Mormons were not intending to
leave ; but to quietly remain, in the hope and ex¬
pectation that in time all danger would be over.
Public meetings began to be held in Hancock and
other counties, at which these apprehensions were
expressed and refei*ence made to the action of the
nine counties in October. These demonstrations
brought a letter of inquiry from Mr. Babbitt, the

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

345

Mormon agent, to Governor Ford. In his reply
the Governor denied that either he or the State
had been a party to the compact that the Mormons
should leave in the spring. Yet he also plainly
intimated that they were bound to go, and that he
would be powerless to prevent their expulsion.
“I tell you plainly,” said his excellency, “that
the people of Illinois will not fight for the Mor¬
mons.”

On the day following Major Warren’s disband¬
ment of his force at Carthage, he received an order
from the Governor to retain them in service until
further orders. They were again mustered in and
remained on duty, making their headquarters chiefly
at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. On May 14th,
the Major sent a dispatch to the Warsaw Signal,
stating that the Mormons were leaving with all
possible speed ; that the ferry was crossing as fast
as possible ; that on an estimate, four hundred and
fifty teams and thirteen hundred and fifty souls had
gone within the week ; that new settlers were taking
their places, etc. Information was also received,
he said, from La Harpe, Macedonia, and other
points, that they were fast leaving those points.
On the 22d he reported :

‘ ‘ The Mormons still continue to leave the city
in large numbers. The ferry at this place averages
about fifty-two teams per day, and at Fort Madison

346

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

forty-five. Thus it will be seen that five hundred
and thirty-nine teams have left during the week,
which average about three persons to each, making
in all one thousand six hundred and seventeen
souls.”

A week later the reported estimate was about
eight hundred teams.

After the Twelve and principal leaders had left,
and were encamped in the vicinity of Keosauqua,
O. P. Rockwell was employed by them as messen¬
ger between the camp and the city, in which ca¬
pacity he became very violent and abusive in his
conduct ; so much so, that they began to fear he
would bring trouble upon them. On May 1st, a
writ was issued for his arrest, on the affidavit of a
Dr. Watson, charging him with the murder of
Lieutenant Worrell, the preceding autumn. The
writ was placed in the hands of some of Major
Warren’s men, who arrested him, surrounded by
fifteen shooters and other implements of defence.
He waived examination, and was sent to Quincy
to jail. At the May term of court, a true bill
was found against him by the grand jury and he
was sent to Galena for trial, having obtained a
change of venue from this circuit. He was ac¬
quitted.

Warlike demonstrations still continuing, on May
11th Major Warren issued a proclamation, in which
he warned the Anti-Mormons to desist ; assuring

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

347

them, that in his opinion, the Mormons were making
all reasonable efforts to leave the county. Notwith¬
standing this assurance, a public meeting was held
at Carthage, at which the opinion was expressed
that large numbers of them designed to remain ;
and recommending that the citizens of the surround¬
ing counties should foi*thwith prepare to put in
force the resolutions of October last. Accordingly,
a considerable force was assembled at Carthage and
thence marched to Golden’s Point, where they held
a conference with a deputation of the new citizens
of Nauvoo, who had been invited to meet them
there. The latter objecting to their entrance into
the city, and the force being weak and poorly
officered and drilled, it was decided to retire again
to Carthage, where it was soon afterwards dis¬
banded.

The peace was of short duration. About the
10th of July, some difficulties occurred in the north
part of the county, east of the city ; arrests were
made on one side and then on the other, until some
ten or fifteen of the old citizens were held iiK cus¬
tody in the city, and a number of Mormons (among
whom was Brigham Young) held in durance outside
as hostages. Such was the condition for over a
week. For fear of an attack and rescue, the host¬
ages were kept closely hidden, and were several
times removed from place to place under cover of

348

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

night, but subjected to no personal violence. At
length a writ of habeas corpus was obtained in
Adams County, served on the officers at Nauvoo,
and they and their prisoners taken to Quincy, where
the prisoners were released on bail. The Mormon
hostages were then set at liberty.

The new citizens at Nauvoo were generally an
orderly and well-disposed people, but they had
among them a few ruffianly and turbulent spirits,
who, by their prominence and intemperate conduct,
contributed to the disorder. Of these were three
men, Dr. Pickett and Messrs. Clifford and Furness,
who had arrested and detained the prisoners above
mentioned. During the first week in August, these
three were charged with false imprisonment and
robbery, and writs issued for their arrest by John
Banks, Esq., of Rocky Run township. The writs
were placed in the hands of John Carlin, of Car¬
thage, a deputy sheriff. On the 7th, he went to
Nauvoo, and arrested Clifford and Furness, but was
resisted and defied by Pickett. On the 17th, he
issued a proclamation calling on the posse comitatus
to assemble at the county seat on Monday, the
24th, to aid in Pickett’s arrest. A meeting had
been held in Nauvoo on the 12th, at which it had
been resolved that Carlin’s writ should not be
executed; it also took measures to organize for
military resistance.

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

849

On the 21st, Governor Ford, at Springfield, sent
an order to Major James R. Parker, of the 32d
regiment of Illinois militia, saying :

“ Sir : I have received information that another
effort is to be made on Monday next, to drive out
the inhabitants of Nauvoo, new and old, and to
destroy the city.”

And Major Parker was authorized to call out and
take command of such persons as would volunteer,
“free of cost to the State,” to repel any attack
and defend the city. He was also authorized
to assist any peace officer in making arrests. This
order of the Governor placed Parker and Carlin
in direct antagonism. Carlin’s proclamation was
dated on the 17th; on the 25th, Parker, having
appeared in the county with a small force, issued a
counter-proclamation, calling on all bodies of armed
men in the county to disperse, and stating that he
held himself in readiness “ to aid any officer in any
part of the county in executing any lawful writs in
his hands.” Carlin replied by letter, that he was a
legally constituted officer with writs in his hands
to execute — that he had been resisted, and had
called out the posse to aid him — that he did not
acknowledge the authority of the military to inter¬
fere — that a large force was collecting, and he
should proceed. To this Parker rejoined that he
was sent by the Governor of the State — that the
force under Carlin was a mob, whose aim was to

350

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

set the Mormons over the river, and he must so
treat them. This brought still another from Car¬
lin, who simply reiterated his former statements.
Thereupon the gallant Major fell back on procla¬
mations. On the 28th he issued a third, and on
the 3d of September a fourth, warning “ the mob
to desist.

During this war of proclamations, a force in aid
of Carlin was concentrating at Carthage, of men
from Hancock and several adjoining counties. This
force, numbering from six hundred to eight hun¬
dred men, was placed under command of Colonel
Janies W. Singleton, of Brown County, and con¬
sisted of two regiments — Colonel Thomas Brock¬
man, of Brown, in command of the first, and the
second commanded by Colonel Thomas Geddes, of
Hancock. It was encamped five miles northwest
of Carthage, on the Nauvoo road. Here secret
negotiations began for a compromise, between the
commander and the Mormons, and were concluded ;
but, on being submitted to his command, were
unanimously rejected by his officers and men, amid
much excitement. The conditions of this agree¬
ment were, in short — That the Mormon population
of Nauvoo shall all leave within sixty days ; that
a force of twenty-five men shall be left as a guard,
the expense to be equally borne by both parties j
that an attorney be selected to take charge of all

THE EXODUS BEGUN.

351

writs ; that the Mormons shall deliver up the State
arms yet in their possession ; and that all hostilities
shall at once cease.

At this remote period, it would seem that these
conditions were hard enough on the Mormons, and
that their antagonists were unnecessarily severe in
rejecting them. The reasons given for their rejection
were mainly that no confidence could be placed in
the Mormon professions of sincerity about removal,
and that no provision was made for the execution
of the writs in Carlin’s hands. On the rejection of
his treaty, Colonel Singleton withdrew from the
command. Carlin thereupon appointed Colonel
Brockman to the command, who immediately gave
orders to advance toward the city, and on the 10th
the whole force, numbering about seven hundred
men, marched toward Nauvoo, and encamped about
three miles from the Temple. Here a committee
of Quincy gentlemen, consisting of Hon. John
Wood, Major Flood, and Joel Eice, Esq., ap¬
peared and proposed a compromise. Terms were
named to them, and by them taken to the city ;
but no answer was received. The posse was then
put in motion toward the city, and for two days
considerable skirmishing was carried on between
the respective picket guards, and some firing oi
artillery — of which both forces had a few small
pieces. On the 12th, a flag of truce was sent in by

352 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Colonels Brockman and Carlin, demanding a sur¬
render. It was replied to by Major Benjamin
Clifford (Major Parker having left), refusing to
comply.

A BATTLE, A TREATY-TEE END. 353

CHAPTER XXX YI.

A BATTLE, A TREATY, AND THE END.

Warsaw Signal’s Report of the Battle— Quincy Commit¬
tee of One Hundred — A Truce — The City Surrenders
— The Treaty — The Killed and Wounded — More
Trouble and More Troops— Reflections.

Preparations to give battle were, therefore,
immediately made. As this was the only real
military engagement of the war, we deem a re¬
port of it in full, as given in the Warsaw Signal
of October 13th, worthy of a place in these
pages :

THE BATTLE.

“After the reception of this letter (Clifford’s),
the army was drawn up in column on a piece of
high ground lying between the camp and the city.
While in this position, a few shots were fired from
a breastwork the Mormons had erected during the
night, and the fire was returned from our artillery.
So soon as all was ready, the Warsaw Riflemen
were divided into two sections, and deployed on
the right and left as flankers. Captain Newton’s
Lima Guards, with Captain Walker’s gun, was
ordered to take position a quarter of a mile in front
of the camp, and employ the attention of the Mor¬
mons at their breastwork, — and from which they
kept a constant fire, while the main body of the
army wheeled to the left, passed down across the

m THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

La Harpe road through a cornfield, thence across
Mulholland street, thence bore to the right through
an orchard, and on to the city. So soon as the
army was fairly under way, Captain Newton’s com-
panjr, and the piece of artillery with it, were
brought up in the rear. This march was made
directly across and in face of the enemy’s fire, and
within good cannon range, yet not a man was in¬
jured.

“Arriving on the verge of the city, the army, all
except the artillery and flankers, was halted, while
the latter advanced and commenced an attack on
the Mormon works, from which they had been firing
during the whole time of the march. A hot fire
was kept up by the artillery from both sides for
fifteen or twenty minutes. During this time, the
Mormons did no execution on our ranks, while the
balls from our cannon rattled most terrifically
through the houses in the city.*

‘ ‘ At length a fire of small arms was heard from
some Mormons who had taken position on the ex¬
treme left in a cornfield. Immediately, Colonel
Smith’s regiment was ordered up and drove the
assailants before them. The second regiment
was in the mean time ordered up to the support
of the artillery. By this time the action became
general.

“ The Mormons were in squads in their houses,
and poured in their shots with the greatest rapidity.
Our men were also divided off into squads, took
shelter where they could best find it, and returned
the fire with great energy. The greater part of the
first regiment had no better shelter than a cornfield
and a worm fence ; the second regiment was open
ground, having but two or three small houses to

* This picture must have been considerably overdrawn ; as it
was subsequently ascertained that comparatively few houses
had been injured.

A BATTLE, A THE A TY—THE END. 355

cover the whole body ; while our artillery was
entirely exposed.

The firing of small arms was continued for half
an hour, during which time our men steadily ad¬
vanced, driving the enemy, in many instances, from
their shelter. For a short time their fire was almost
entirely silenced ; hut, unfortunately, at this junc¬
ture our cannon balls were exhausted ; and our
commander, deeming it imprudent to risk a further
advance without these necessary instruments, or¬
dered the men to be drawn off. This was done in
good order, and in slow time the whole force returned
to the camp.

In this action we had about five hundred men en¬
gaged, and four pieces of artillery ; two hundred men
and one piece of artillery having been left at the camp
for its protection. Our loss in this engagement,
as well as the subsequent skirmishes, will be found
in the report of the surgeons hereto appended.
Most of our men throughout the action displayed
remarkable coolness and determination, and, we have
no doubt, did great execution. We believe if our
cannon balls had held out ten minutes longer, we
should have taken the city ; but when the action
commenced, we had but sixty-one balls. The battle
lasted from the time the first feint was made until
our men were drawn off — an hour and a quarter.
Probably there is not on record an instance of a
longer-continued militia fight . ( ! )

The Mormons stood their ground manfully ; but
from the little execution done by them, we infer
that they were not very cool or deliberate. Their
loss is uncertain, as they have taken especial pains
to conceal the number of their dead and wounded.
They acknowledged but three dead and ten wounded.
Among the killed is their master spirit, Captain
Anderson , of the fifteen-shooter rifle company. Their
force in the fight was from three to four hundred.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

They had all the advantages, having selected then-
own positions ; and we were obliged to take such
as we could get. Sometimes our men could get no
cover, and the artillery was all the time exposed,
while theirs was under cover.

“ On Saturday, after the battle, the Anties com¬
menced intrenching their camp, and on Sunday
made it secure against the shots of the enemy’s
cannon, which frequently reached or passed over it.
On Sunday, the Anties cut part of the corn from
the field, on the left of the La Harpe road, to pre¬
vent the Mormons from taking cover in it. While
thus engaged, the Mormons fired on the guard
which was protecting the corn-cutters. The fire
was returned by the guard, and kept up at long
distance for two or three hours. In this skirmish
one of our men was badly wounded. The loss of the
enemy is not known. On Monday, a party of
Mormons crept up through the weeds to a piece of
high ground, and fired at our camp, wounding three
men, none seriously. Their balls were neax-ly
spent when they struck. On Sunday morning, after
the battle, a powder plot was dug up on the
La Harpe road, which the army was expected to
pass. On Wednesday, another was dug up on the
same road nearer the city. Several of these plots
were discovered near the Temple, and in other parts
of the city.”

The surgeons of Colonel Brockman’s force re¬
ported twelve men wounded, as the result of the
conflict, among w'hom was Captain Smith, of the
Carthage Greys, in command of the First Regiment.
One of the wounded died ten hours after the fight.
It is believed that all the rest recovered. Of the

A BATTLE , A TBEATY—THE END. 357

loss on the other side, no certain account was ever
obtained.*

The fighting was over and the war was at an
end. On Tuesday morning, the 15th, while Colonel
Brockman and his force were still in camp, a depu¬
tation from one hundred citizens of Quincy arrived
with proposals for mediation. A similar deputation
from the same source was sent into Nauvoo to con¬
fer with Major Clifford, the commander there. A
truce was agreed on, and after a long and volumi¬
nous correspondence, a treat}' — a final one — was
concluded, which we can state best in its own
words :

“1. The City of Nauvoo Will Surrender.
The force of Colonel Brockman to enter and take
possession of the city to-morrow, the 17th of Sep¬
tember, at 3 o’clock p. m.

“2. The arms to be delivered to the Quincy
Committee, to be returned on the crossing of the
river.

“3. The Quincy Committee pledge themselves
to use their influence for the protection of persons
and property from all violence ; and the officers of

* The following are the names of the wounded on the part of
the Anti-Mormons, in the battle on Saturday :

Humphreys, of Fountain Green, died twelve hours after the
battle.

Thompson, of same place, wounded in arm.

Colonel Smith, of Carthage, in the throat.

Mr. Welch, of McDonough County, in the leg.

George Weir, of Warsaw, in the neck.

Mr. Kennedy, of Augusta, shoulder.

Mr. Rogers, of Ursa, Adams County.

In the skirmish on Sunday, Mr. Winsor (an attorney of
Nauvoo) was wounded badly. In the camp, on Monday, Dr.
Geiger, of Nauvoo, Mr. Crooks, of Chili, and Mr. Stimson, of
Brown County. Three of the above were merely scratched.

358

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the camp and the men pledge themselves to protect
all persons and property from violence.

“4. The sick and helpless to be protected and
treated with humanity.

“5. The Mormon population of the city to leave
the State, or disperse, as soon as they can cross the
river.

“6. Five men, including the Trustees of the
Church, and five Clerks, with their families (Wil¬
liam Pickett not one of the number) to be peraiitted
to remain in the city for the disposition of property,
free from all molestation and personal violence.

“7. Hostilities to cease immediately, and ten
men of the Quincy Committee to enter the city in
the execution of their duty, as soon as they think
proper.

“We, the undersigned, subscribe to, ratify and
confirm, the foregoing Articles of Accommodation,
Treaty, and Agreement, the day and year first
above written.

“ Signed by,

“Almost W. Babbitt,

Joseph L. Hey wood,

John S. Fullmer,

Trustees in Trust for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Andrew Johnson,

Chairman of Committee of Quincy.
Thomas S. Brockman,

Commander Posse.

John Carlin,

Special Constable .”

At this remote period, it is hard to discover the
necessity for this expedition and consequent loss of
life and property, even on the ground for which it
was professedly undertaken. Major Warren had

A BATTLE, A TEE A TY— THE END. 359

repeatedly reported from Nauvoo that the Mormons
were leaving in great numbers, and apparently as
fast as they were able, and that most of the leaders
had gone. That it was for arresting Pickett was
probably its original purpose only ; but that this
purpose was lost sight of before the close, is proven
by the fact that no provision was made for his arrest
in the treaty, and no mention made of him except
to exclude him from remaining in the city. That
this should have been so is a curious fact, in view
of the sharp correspondence between Major Parker
and the officer holding the writ. The best excuse
for the raid that can be given, perhaps, is, that it
was known that the followers of Rigdon and Wil¬
liam Smith were opposing the westward movement,
and were suspected of an intention to remain. Some
of the adherents of the Twelve may have had a
similar purpose, but of this we have no proof.

Soon after the agreement was signed and ex¬
changed, Major Clifford gave orders for the with¬
drawal of the force under his command. By three
o’clock p. m. the next day, the 17th, nearly the
whole of the Mormon population had crossed the
Mississippi into Iowa. This unexpected haste was,
doubtless, due to the fear entertained that if found
in the city on the arrival of the foe, they would be
subjected to insult and violence.

At three o’clock, Brockman’s force was put in

360

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

motion, marched through the city, and encamped
near the south end. On Friday the whole force,
with the exception of one hundred men, was dis¬
banded and sent home. The new citizens organized
a company of one hundred, and the two combined
acted as guard to the city.

But the troubles were not yet over. The force
left as guard, not satisfied with the withdrawal of
the Mormons, dealt pretty roughly with some of the
most obnoxious new citizens, even to driving them
from the city. These made appeal to the Governor
for protection. That functionary sent Major Bray-
man from Springfield to investigate and report.
His representations were such that the Governor
again decided to send a force into the county. He
recruited about one hundred men, with which he
entered the county on the 28th of October and
remained till the 14th of November, when he re¬
turned to Springfield, leaving part of his posse under
command of Major Weber. These forces remained
in the county inactive until Governor French,
elected to succeed Governor Ford, withdrew them
on the 12th of December and addressed a short
note to the people of the county, exhorting to peace
and quietness.

And now, in looking back upon the eight years
during which that infatuated people resided in the
State of Illinois, and after more than forty years

A BATTLE, A THE A TY—THE END. 361

since they took their departure into the wilderness,
and men’s angry passions have had time to subside,
it is easy to see that they were not the only evil¬
doers ; that much wrong was done, not alone by
them, but by those who opposed them.

Mormonism has been progressive from the days
of its inception. Originating in evil, it has,
through the lifetime of its prophet and more daring
successor, continued to add evil dogmas to its
creed, until it has become a monster in Utah. It
has long since ceased to be a mere county or State
question. Ever since the death of the prophet, and
that later day when his followers set their bleeding
feet on the arid plains of Utah, it has become one
of national importance, no longer to be dealt with
by a “ mob ” or by “ border ruffians,” but by the
national judgment. Let us pray heaven that the
Nation may be successful in bringing it to a just
and proper solution !

How rapid and remarkable is the growth of
evil ! Fifty years ago, among the fei*tile vales of
Western New York, the absurd and ridiculous pre¬
tence of a Divine Mission, was made by an igno¬
rant and obscure young man — made at the outset,
with no othei view than to gull the credulous.
From this silly claim, as a root, has grown this
Upas-like tree, spreading its branches far and
wide and sending its malarial influence through-

362 TIIE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

out the world. Ignorance, Superstition, Fanati¬
cism — men’s evil passions and propensities — have
been the food which has fed it to its present
dangerous proportions. What will check or de¬
stroy it ?

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS. 363

CHAPTER XXX VH.

THE EXODUS, THE DESERT, AND WILDERNESS.

Brigham’s Evil Choice — Ex Route Westward — Kanes-
ville — “ Winter Quarters ” — Colonel Kane’s Descrip¬
tion — Missouri Republican Correspondent — The
Mormon Battalion — Brigham Assumes Supreme
Power — Pushes on to Salt Lake and Returns — Main
Body Reaches the Valley — Stake Planted — The
“ State of Deseret.”

Then was Brigham Young’s grand opportunity
for good. Had he, when forced to leave Xauvoo
with his followers, been honest and magnan¬
imous enough to have said to them : ‘ ‘ Go your
ways, brethren ; disperse among the people, where-
ever you' can find homes for your families ; lead
honest lives ; obey the laws. Carry with you all
your veneration for the new Gospel and preach it
to the world — God wills it ! ” — he would have shown
himself worthy to lead. Such was their faith in him
that he would have been obeyed. Instead, he chose
to have them follow him into an unknown wilder¬
ness; poor, sick, and distressed; famished and
hungry ; through rain and storm and trackless
snows ; over mountains and sandy desert plains —
all for what ? That he and a few chosen associates
might lead pampered lives. No higher motive

364

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYBA.

governed him. On the part of the many it was a
sublime heroism ; for the few there is no apology ;
it was infamy.

In a previous chapter, the beginnings of this un¬
precedented journey have been recorded. In Jan¬
uary, 1846, a council of the chiefs was held in the
city, at which it was decided to start out toward
the setting sun, but with no objective point fully
determined on. Oregon and California were known
to exist on the peaceful shores of the broad Pacific ;
but all that intermediate region included now in
the States of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and
Nevada, and the half-dozen territories beyond, was
one vast terra incognita. Somewhere, in this un¬
known region they would find resting-places — or
graves. Alas ! many of them found the latter,
scattered far thicker than milestones along the
dreary route.

A pioneer band was early sent forward. It was
provided with means for opening roads, preparing
shelter, and planting crops for those who were to
follow. During the summer and fall (1846) the
main body, numbering several thousand souls, had
reached the Missouri river, across the then territory
ox Iowa, and almost due west from Nauvoo. A
portion of them located on the east side of the river,
and the colony there planted was called Kanesville
— now the little city of Council Bluffs. A still larger

EXODUS, DESEBT, AND WILDERNESS. 365

body crossed the Missouri and established “ winter
quarters,” and other settlements in the vicinity of
what is now the city of Omaha, in the State of
Nebraska. Kanesville was named in honor of
Colonel Thomas L. Kane, of Philadelphia, a brother
to the renowned Arctic explorer ; a gentleman who
took great interest in behalf of these suffering people.
He afterwards delivered lectures in the East on this
Mormon exodus, and before the Historical Society of
Philadelphia, which — although some of his facts are
much distorted and exaggerated — in glowing and elo¬
quent terms depicted the sufferings of the fugitives.
Portions of it are reproduced here. That lecture
ought to be read and studied by every body of
people who contemplate the banishment of whole
communities, as t punishment for the crimes of their
leaders. His visP to Nauvoo just after the sur¬
render, is thus desc ibed in part :

“ ... It was a natural impulse to visit

this inviting region. I procured a skiff [at Mont¬
rose opposite] and rowing across the river, landed
at the chief wharf of the city. No one met me
there. I looked, and saw no one. I could hear no
one move ; though the quiet everywhere was such
that I heard the flies buzz, and the water-ripples
break against the shallow of the beach. I walked
through the solitary streets. The town lay as in a
dream, under some deadening spell of loneliness,
from which I almost feared to wake it ; for plainly
it had not slept long. There was no grass growing
up in the paved ways ; the rains had not entirely
washed away the prints of dusty footsteps.

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYRA.

“Yet I went about unchecked. I went into
empty workshops, rope-walks and smithies. The
spinner’s wheel was idle ; the carpenter had gone
from his work-bench and shavings, his unfinished
sash and casings. Fresh bark was in the tanner’s
vat, and the fresh-chopped light-wood stood piled
against the baker’s oven. The blacksmith’s shop
was cold; but his coal-heap and ladling pool, and
crooked water-horn, were all there, as if he had just
gone off for a holiday. No work-people anywhere
looked to know my errand. If I went into the
gardens, clinking the wicket-latch loudly after me,
to pull the marigolds, heart’s-ease and lady-slip-
\>ers, and draw a drink from the water-sodden well-
bucket and its noisy chain ; or, knocking off with
my stick the tall, heavy-headed dahlias and sun¬
flowers ; hunted over the beds for cucumbers or
love-apples, — no one called out to me from an open
window, or dog sprang forward to bark an alarm.
I could have supposed the people hid in their
houses, but the doors were unfastened, and I had
to tread tip-toe, as if walking down the aisle of a
country church, to avoid rousing irreverent echoes
from the naked floors. . . .

“ Only two portions of the city seemed to sug¬
gest the import of this mysterious solitude. On
the southern suburb, the houses looking out upon
the country showed by their splintered wood-work
and walls battered to the foundation, that they had
lately been the mark of a destructive cannonade.
And in and around the splendid Temple, which had
been the chief object of my admiration, armed men
were barracked, surrounded by their stacks of
musketry and pieces of heavy ordnance. They
challenged me to render an account of myself, and
why I had the temerity to cross the water without
a written permit from a leader of their band.

‘ ‘ Though these men were generally more or less

EXODUS , DESERT, AND WILDERNESS 367

under the influence of ardent spirits, after I had
explained myself as a passing stranger, they seemed
anxious to gain my good opinion. They told the
story of the Dead City ; that it had been a notable
manufacturing and commercial mart, sheltering over
20,000 persons ;* that they had waged war with
its inhabitants for several years, and had been
finally successful only a few days before my visit,
in an action fought in front of the ruined suburb ;
after which they had driven them forth at the point
of the sword, etc.

“ They permitted me also to ascend into the
steeple [of the Temple] to see where it had been
lightning-struck on the Sabbath before, f and to
look out east and south on wasted farms, like those
I had seen near the city, extending till they were
lost in the distance. Here, in the face of the pure
day, close to the scar of the Divine wrath left by
the thunderbolt, were fragments of food, cruses of
liquor, and broken drinking vessels, with a brass
drum and a steamboat signal bell, of which I after¬
wards learned the use with pain.

‘ ‘ It was after night-fall when I was ready to cross
the river on my return. The wind had freshened
since the sunset, and the water beating roughly
into my little boat, I hedged higher up the stream
than the point I had left in the morning, and
landed where a faint glimmering light invited me
to steer.

“Here among the dock and rushes, sheltered
only by the darkness, without roof between them
and the sky , I came upon a crowd of several hun-

* If they told him this they greatly exaggerated. The city of
Nauvoo never contained a resident population of much over
half that number.

t A fact ; the Temple was struck by lightning in a storm on
a Sunday while in possession of the rioters ; but little damage
done.

368

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

dred human creatures, whom my movements moved
from uneasy slumber upon the ground.

“ Passing these on my way to the light, I found
it came from a tallow candle in a paper funnel
shade, such as is used by street venders of apples
and pea-nuts, and which, flaming and guttering
away in the bleak air off the water, shone flicker-
ingly on the emaciated features of a man in the last
stages of a bilious remittent fever. They had
done their best for him. Over his head was some¬
thing like a tent, made of a sheet or two, and he
rested on a but partially ripped open old straw mat¬
tress, with a hair sofa-cushion for a pillow. His
gaping jaw and glazing eye told how short a time
he would monopolize these luxuries ; though a
seemingly bewildered and excited person, who
might have been his wife, seemed to find hope in
occasionally forcing him to swallow awkwardly sips
of the tepid river water, from a burned and battered
bitter-smelling tin coffee-pot. Those who knew
better, had furnished the apothecary he needed — a
toothless old bald head, whose manner had the
repulsive dulness of a man familiar with death
scenes. He, so long as I remained, mumbled in
his patient’s ear a monotonous and melancholy
prayer, between the pauses of which I heard the
hiccup, and the sobbing of two little girls who were
sitting upon a piece of drift-wood outside.

“ Dreadful, indeed, was the suffering of these
forsaken beings ; bowed and cramped by cold and
sunburn, as each dreary day and night dragged on,
they were, almost all of them, the crippled victims
of disease. They were there because they had no
homes, nor hospital, nor poor-house to offer them
any. They could not satisfy the cravings of their
sick ; they had not bread to quiet the fractious
hunger-cries of their children. Mothers and babes,
daughters and grand-parents alike, were bivouacked

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS.

in tatters, wanting even covering to comfort those
whom the sick shiver of fever was searching to the
marrow.

“ These were Mormons in Lee County, Iowa,
in the fourth week of the month of September, in
the year of Our Lord, 1846. The city — it was
Nauvoo, Illinois. The Mormons were the owners
of that city, and the smiling country around. And
those who had stopped their plows ; who had si¬
lenced their hammers, their axes, their shuttles, and
their work-shop wheels ; those who had put out
their fires, who had eaten their food, spoiled their
orchards, and trampled under foot their thousands
of acres of unharvested bread, — these were the keep¬
ers of their dwellings, the carousers in their Tem¬
ple, and whose drunken riot insulted the ears of
their dying.

“ . . . They were, all told, not more than

six hundred and forty persons who were thus lying
on the river flats. But the Mormons in Nauvoo
and its dependencies had been numbered the year
before at over twenty thousand. Where were
they ? They had last been seen, carrying in mourn¬
ful train, their sick and wounded, halt and blind,
to disappear behind the western horizon, pursuing
the phantom of another home.”

Another account of the appearance of the city, is «
thus given by a correspondent of the Missouri Re¬
publican :

A Week in Nauvoo — View from the Temple —
Desolate Appearance of the City — Prog¬
ress of Events, Etc., Etc.

Warsaw, Illinois, Sept. 29th, 1846.

“ Since my last letter I have spent a week in
Nauvoo, and can attest the truth of the remarks of

370

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

another of your correspondents, in regard to the
desolate appearance of the city.

‘ ‘ I arrived there on Monday evening of last week.
On Tuesday morning I took a stroll through a por¬
tion of the now deserted streets, and for miles, I
may safely say, I passed nothing but tenantless
houses ; some of them closed and barred, and others
with doors wide open, as if left in haste. All along
the city, for miles, wherever I went, might be seen
on the doors, or on the walls, some notice that the
tenement was for sale, or for rent. Every thing
indicates that Mormonism is for ever extinct in
Illinois. As a people they are completely subdued.
Not one, in my opinion, will ever try to regain a
foothold in Hancock. They are selling their little
property at very low rates, indeed, almost giving
it away — for the sake of raising means to take them
away. Horses, cows, oxen, and wagons, are in
great demand. Many design to join the expedition,
which has gone in advance, to the wilderness of the
Far West, while many others have already left for
points up and down the river.

“ There are many instances of individual distress
and suffering, and how could it be otherwise in a
case like this ? Many, doubtless, have left the city
with nothing to live upon a day in advance. Many
have crossed the river, who were entirely destitute
of the means of sustaining their families before, and
who now have added to their former miseries the
want of a house to live in, or a roof to shelter them
from the ‘ peltings of the pitiless storm.’ Many
have nothing left them in the wide world but the
little hut which they tenanted in the city, and the
small patch of ground upon which it stands, and for
which, probably, they will not be able to realize
the sum of twenty dollars. I was present myself
at the sale of two lots of ground, with a log house
and a few fruit trees on each, for one of which the

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS. 371

purchaser paid a horse, and for the other a cow,
and the holders seemed glad to get away with so
much. Low as this, doubtless, seemed to them,
who had probably paid $200 or $300 each ; yet the
pui-chaser had better kept his horse and cow. If
all the lots in Nauvoo could be bought at the same
rate, I would consider them dearly paid for.

“ During my stay I took several ocasions to
look at the city and surrounding country from the
top of the Temple. It is, indeed, a grand and im¬
posing scene, and presents the most magnificent
‘view to be found any where on the banks of the
Mississippi. There is but one point on the river
that exceeds it in beauty, in my opinion, and that
is Rock Island. Ten years ago, when all that part
of the city which lies east of the Temple was cov¬
ered with forest trees, and little patches of oak and
other timber dotted the flat part of the city nearest
the river bank, and the little town of Commerce,
with its five or six houses huddled together on the
bank, it presented a very different aspect from what
it does at present. Then it presented nature in all
her loveliness : the placid and broad current of the
Mississippi, its islands and sand bars — the far-
reaching prairies of Iowa — the bold bluff' which
runs in semi-circular form around the town of Mont¬
rose (then Fort Des Moines), with here and there
a wx-eath of ascending smoke, to tell the habitation
of some settler — that is the picture it presented ten
or twelve years ago. But now how changed is the
scene ! What a mutation it has undei-gone ! And
yet, it is now a thousand times more desolate. The
only thing I noticed which had undergone no change
since I was familiar with it in 1836 and ’7, was
Cutler’s Grave. It was enclosed with a stone wall,
and stood about half a mile from the river near the
road which descended the hill from where the Tem¬
ple now stands — and there it is yet, standing in the

372

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYBA.

midst of all this desolation, looking the same as
it did ere the hand of man had wrought all this
change around it. George Y. Cutler was one of
the earliest settlers in Hancock County, and one of
its first county commissioners — dying, he was buried
at this spot.

‘ ‘ I took occasion to ascertain as near as possible
the number of houses in the city. From my posi¬
tion on the Temple, I could count a large portion of
the city ; and from actual count, and estimate based
upon count, I think there are at least two thousand
houses in the city proper, and in the suburbs five
hundred more — making in all two thousand five
hundred houses. About one-half of these are mere
shanties, built some of logs, some of poles plas¬
tered over, and some framed. Of the remaining
portion — say twelve hundred houses — all are tol¬
erably fit residences, and one-half are good brick
or frame houses. There are probably five hun¬
dred bi’ick houses in the city, most of which are
good buildings, and some are elegant and hand¬
somely finished residences, such as would adorn
any city.

“ Of these two thousand five hundred houses, I
think about one-twelfth are tenanted — some by
Mormons who have not yet got away, the remainder
by Anti-Mormons, new or old settlers, who have
been permitted to stay.

“ Col. Geddes, of Fountain Green, in this county,
was left in command of a small force, when the
army was disbanded, and has been in command
during the past week. He has now returned to
his home, leaving twenty or thirty men at the Tem¬
ple, under command of Major McAuley and Mr.
Brattle. A small force will probably remain in
the city as long as the Mormons remain on the other
side of the river.

“No event of importance has transpired during

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS. 373

the week. A certain Dr. Oliver Dresser, who
hails from Maine, and who was somewhat conspic¬
uous in the late difficulties, as a friend and com¬
panion of Pickett’s, ventured over on Wednesday
from the other side. He was taken into custody
and kept in the Temple till morning, and then
marched to the river in double quick time, between
two files of men, where he took passage for Iowa.
A few other scenes of similar character, to some of
which the ceremony of dipping was added, is all
that occurred during the week, of an exciting char¬
acter.

“ Several cases of deep distress, mostly lone
widows and orphans, came to my knowledge during
my stay. In all of these aid was freely given. One
of these cases is a peculiar one. During the
preparations previous to the fight, one of the horse¬
men of the city, while riding through the street,
was thrown from his horse, and his gun discharged,
the ball from which entered the body of a Mrs.
Haywood, who was in the door at the time. The
lady was badly wounded, but not killed ; and was
unable to be removed from the city, at the time
the posse entered.

“ Her husband being a rabid Mormon, ran over
the river, leaving her and a young child on this side,
where she fell under the notice of the Anti-Mor¬
mons. Provision was immediateh' made for her
support — medical aid procured, and every care and
attention bestowed which was in the power of the
commander or his men. She is now doing well,
and will, in a few days, be removed to some place
in the interior until she will be able to go to her
friends in Vermont — as she has decided not to
follow her husband into the wilderness. What
renders her case more pitiable is, that he has pos¬
session of her three children, all under ten years
old, and is making use of them to induce her to

374 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA

alter her determination. She never was a Mormons
but in that confidence which woman only repose,
in the object of her regard, she followed him to
Nauvoo. Since that time, her confidence has been
shaken, and she has now determined never to cross
the Mississippi , to swell the tide of war which Mor-
monism is destined to carry in its train. This acci¬
dent, which she doubtless regarded as a most un¬
fortunate one, I regard as one of the most fortunate
circumstances of her life. It has been the means
of separating an interesting woman from a brutal
and fanatical husband who would else have dragged
her into the far wilderness to suffer unutterable
woes.

“ Yours, etc.,

“ T. Gr.”

The enormity and folly of that last raid
upon Nauvoo, and the unnecessary severity em¬
ployed in the treatment of the fugitives, has
never been fully estimated by those engaged in or
who sanctioned it. Heaven grant that henceforth
and forever, no county, or nine counties, or
State, may adopt this method of dealing with its
offenders !

The war against Mexico was about to begin.
Our government proposed to make the conquest of
California, then a Mexican province. While en¬
camped near the Missouri river, an agent of the
government appeared at headquarters, with orders
to enlist, if possible, a battalion of Mormon volun¬
teers for one year, to be employed in the service
against California. They were accordingly enlisted.

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS. 375

armed, and equipped, and performed valuable service
in that memorable campaign ; and at the end of their
enlisted time, were honorably discharged on the
Pacific Coast. Large instalments of pay were made
in advance, which materially aided not only the
battalion, but their families on the journey. This
enlistment of so many of their able-bodied men, of
course increased the hardships and dangers to be
encountered by those left behind. Although the
purpose was one of pure sympathy on the part of
the administration, intended to aid the refugees in
reaching the other side of the continent — and was
so understood and accepted by the Mormons them¬
selves — yet, in later years, Brigham Young has
made it the occasion of great complaint, and by his
misrepresentations created much of the disloyal
feeling existing in Utah against the government of
the United States.

In January, 1847, Brigham Young, in the
wilderness, issued a command to his followers,
which he claimed to be a revelation from the
Lord. It had reference mainly to the “ ways
and means ” to be employed in organizing com¬
panies, providing teams and supplies, and prepar¬
ing the way for the perilous expedition across the
plains.

The 6th of April, the day for the annual confer¬
ence, found most of the leaders at “ Winter Quar-

376

TI1E PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

ters.” Soon after the conference, Brigham started
west at the head of a picked company ; and after a
journey of three months and a half, on July 24th,
came in sight of the Great Basin in which Salt Lake
is situated. Its beauty, its grandeur, and its ap¬
parent fertility and advantages, and more than all,
its isolation from the rest of the world, decided him
at once to make this the resting-place of his Saints ;
to build in this valley, so invitingly spread out
before them, a new Zion, a thousand miles away
from civilization, where the heavy hand of oppres¬
sion could not reach them.

They descended into the valley ; encampments
were made, the city located, the soil upturned, and
seed sown, and active preparation made for plant¬
ing a colony early the next season. This done,
the most of them returned to the Missouri river,
where their families and other large numbers had
been left, which they reached about the 1st of No¬
vember.

In the spring of 1848, a vital change was effected
iruthe organization of the church. It will be remem¬
bered that after the death of the prophet, and during
the struggle for the succession at Nauvoo, in order
to circumvent Rigdon and Patriarch William Smith,
it was decided that the office of President of the
Church should be abolished, and that henceforward
the Twelve should be the supreme authority.

EXODUS, DESE11T, AND WILDERNESS. 377

Young now aimed to usurp the whole power. He
had, by his superior ability and energy, led them
thus far into the desert in safety ; he had also led
a pioneer band over the mountains, and shown them
the beautiful Land of Promise they were about to
occupy ; and he aspired to undivided authority.
He cautiously felt his way among his associates of
the quorum, and one by one gained them over. A
majority of the Twelve gained, the people Voted
freely for the change ; and there in the wilder¬
ness of Nebraska, the order of government so
solemnly established in the Temple at Nauvoo three
years before, was reversed, and Brigham invested
with the supreme power, in name as in fact.
Here, too, the work of proselyting was renewed;
missionaries ordered to Europe, and instructions
given them to collect as much of “tithing ’’and
other material aid as possible, for the erection of
a new Temple in the Great Salt Lake valley. And,
as on former occasions, such was the enthusiasm
among his poor, suffering, and shelterless follow¬
ers, that all wanted to go to the New Jeru¬
salem that was being prepared for them. All
were willing to undertake the journey to that
Promised Land, which so many of them were
doomed to never reach ; to pursue a phantom
which was leading them down into the Valley of

378

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA

the Shadow of Death, instead of the Zion of their
hopes.

By the end of the season, four or five thousand
souls had entered the valley, and had industriously
set at work to make themselves homes.

When first occupied, the Salt Lake valley, as
well as all the contiguous territory, belonged still
to Mexico nominally ; but at the treaty of peace
which soon followed, was ceded to the United
States. Brigham Young aimed at independent em¬
pire ; and as the United States’ authority was now
to be extended over it, his next and best step
toward independence he conceived to be the organ¬
ization of a State. So a convention was held on
March 5, 1849, and the Constitution of the State
of Deseret formed. It declared that “We, the
people, grateful to the Supreme Being for the bless¬
ings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence
on him for a continuation of those blessings, do
ordain and establish a free and independent Gov¬
ernment by the name of the State of Deseret,”
etc., etc. Subsequently, Brigham Young was
elected Governor of the State. Though this con¬
stitution was rejected by Congress, and the Terri¬
torial Government of Utah established, with Young
for its Governor, — this “ State of Deseret” is to
this day the great desideratum with the leaders in
Salt Lake valley. They anxiously await the day

EXODUS, DESERT, AND WILDERNESS. 379

when it can be re-established. That day should
never be permitted to come to them, until it can
bring another “ Wilmot Proviso ” against the
“ twin relic of barbarism ” harbored there.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE MORMON TEMPLES.

The Rertland Temple— In Missouri— At Nauvoo— The
Baptismal Font— Its Destruction by Fire — Important
Decision in Ohio.

The Latter-Day Saints have ever been most in¬
dustrious temple-builders. Early in his career, the
prophet imbibed the notion that a glorious Zion and
a magnificent temple were necessary adjuncts to
the system he was planning ; necessary as aids in
making proselytes, and as means for extracting
money from his followers. In this his judgment
was good. It is very doubtful, whether without
these aids, he could have succeeded in gathering
around him half the fanaticism, or half the zeal and
enthusiasm that he did, in the fourteen years of his
imposture.

With only a handful of followers, numbering a
few hundreds, the first temple at Kirtland was
begun. It was the work of several years ; but was
pushed forward as fast as the tenthly tithings of
members would permit. It was said to have cost
fifty thousand dollars, but was never entirely fin¬
ished. In March, 1836, it was sufficiently advanced

THE MORMON TEMPLES.

to admit of dedication, which was performed under
imposing ceremonies, and with many extravagant
demonstrations of fanaticism. It was eighty feet
in length and sixty wide, and about fifty in height
to the eaves — giving two stories of twenty-two feet
each, and an attic story under the roof, for school
purposes — with a steeple and dome one hundred and
ten feet high.

But before its completion, the idea of a new Zion
and a grander temple on the rich plains of Mis¬
souri was entertained. Just how many were sev¬
erally planned there, is not now remembered. The
corner-stones of one or two were laid ; but no one,
it is believed, ever grew beyond its foundations on
the border land.

The Nauvoo plan was on a greater and more
magnificent scale than that of Kirtland. The
‘ ‘ Kings of the earth ” were commanded to con¬
tribute of their gold and silver and precious jewels
to its aid ; and though no king is known to have
contributed to its treasury, it is certain that many
of the subjects of a young Queen (Victoria), did
castin their pounds, shillings, and pence, and bestow
the labor of their lusty right arms, toward its
erection.

The corner-stones of this temple were laid on
April 6, 1841, five years after the dedication at
Kirtland. Although designed for a religious cere-

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

monial, the military took precedence in the work.
Lieutenant-General Smith, Major-General Bennett,
Brigadier-Generals Law and Hyrum Smith, and all
the other generals and aides-de-camp and com¬
manders, in their gorgeous uniforms, were out in
full style. Sidney Bigdon delivered the oration ;
after which President Smith laid the chief corner¬
stone, the south-east ; President Don C. Smith laid
the south-west ; the High Council laid the north¬
west, and the Bishops laid the north-east, with due
solemnities.

At the date of the prophet’s death, the Temple
was well under way, but it was never finished.*
At the departure of the Saints in 1846, it stood an
imposing sight from the river and the opposite shore.
All around its base were spread and piled the debris
of stone and rubbish, left of materials used in its
construction.

* Joseph Smith, the younger, says that the Temple was
never finished, notwithstanding Young’s declaration that
“ through the blessing of God, it was completed and accepted
by Him.” He says : “ This statement is not true.” And
after enumerating numerous instances of incompleteness, he
adds : “ If the statements of various persons can be relied on,
there can be but little doubt that, in one respect, there was a
completion ; and that respect is the desecration and defilement
of the Temple, by the holding of such revels and orgies therein,
as were not even thought of by the ‘money-changers,’ who
made the House of God at Jerusalem a ‘ den of thieves,’ and
against which the righteous indignation of Jesus was so sig¬
nally directed.”

Similar charges of “revels” and “orgies” and “desecra-
crations,” he should remember, were made at the time of the
“ consecration” of the Temple at Kirtland, where the prophet
himself was a chief actor.

THE MORMON' TEMPLES.

Inside, in the basement, stood the twelve demure
looking Stone Oxen, supporting the ponderous
baptismal font; while from the belfry, one hun¬
dred and fifty feet above, was to be observed a
magnificent panorama of miles in extent, embracing
the sweeping crescent of the river, the islands, the
bluffs, and the stretch of prairie beyond. Thus it
stood for two years in its utter desolation.

The Nauvoo Temple was large, but not so im¬
mense as has been represented. It was one hundred
and twenty feet long by eighty in width, and about
sixty feet high, surmounted by an imposing cupola
and dome one hundred and fifty feet from the
ground. It was built of a beautiful gray limestone,
quarried from the river bluff just below the city.
It was said to have cost a million and a quarter of
dollars — doubtless an exaggeration. At the least,
it was an alarming amount for a poor community
to invest in one house of worship. And to that
purpose it was ill-adapted. So, on leaving the city,
its owners found it to be a very heavy weight on their
hands. It was not suited for a church for any other
denomination ; it was not convenient for a manu¬
factory ; and it was not well adapted to educational
purposes. It was offered for sale ; and 'the low
price put upon it of two hundred thousand dollars.
Negotiations on the part of several parties were
talked of; and, it is believed, that had it not been

384 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

destroyed by a vandal hand, it would in a short
time have passed into possession of some educa¬
tional enterprise.

On the morning of October 10, 1848, at about
two o’clock, a fire was discovered in the highest
section of the cupola. The alarm was given, and
a large concourse of citizens gathered ; but all effort
to save the building was unavailing. “In an in¬
credibly short period the lofty spire was enveloped
in flames, shooting upward to a most astonishing
height, and illuminating a wide expanse of coun¬
try,” says an eye-witness. In two hours, only the
blackened and smoking walls remained of the build¬
ing on which so much toil and effox*t had been ex¬
pended, and so many hopes and aspirations cen¬
tered. A monument of folly and fanaticism and
wickedness while it stood, its destruction was no
less a work of infamous vandalism.

The perpetrator of the deed is unknown. By
the Mormons, and perhaps by the public gener¬
ally, the deed has been attributed to the Anti-
Mormon party of the county. Without being able
to say that some individual among them may not
have been the guilty one, the writer knows that the
act was generally condemned by them, in common
with all other citizens. There was another theory
advanced to account for its destruction, which is
not without some reason. There was at that time

THE MORMON TEMPLES. 385

much dissension among the brotherhood ; two or
three parties existed, all claiming to be the true
church and the others as heretics, and they hated
each other. Besides, they had all contributed of
their toil and means for its erection ; and it was
natural that those remaining in the States should
object that the proceeds of its sale should go to the
benefit of Brigham in the wilderness. Hence, it
has been surmised that some reckless and over-
zealous member of one of these branches, may have
committed the act. But whoever it may have been,
the Gentiles of the county have had to bear the
blame.

The largest part of the walls stood for a year or
two, when the Icarian community, under M.
Etienne Cabet, located in the city, purchased it,
and with the materials built a school house and
several other buildings for their purposes. After
that community was dissolved a few years later,
some of these structures were pulled down and
scattei-ed ; and now relic hunters can show frag¬
ments of the Nauvoo Temple in many States, and
a thousand miles away.

The grand Temple, under process of erection at
Salt Lake, has been so often described of late, as to
require only mere mention in this connection.

The Reconstructed Branch of the sect, under the
leadership of the younger Smith, does not seem to be

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

imbued with this mania for temple-building. For all
the years their headquarters were at Plano, Illinois,
wve are not aware that they made any attempt to
build a temple; though it seems that they have
sought and obtained title to the original one at
Kirtland. They worship as other sects do, in plain
meeting-houses, wherever the membership is strong
enough to build them. What the course may be
in their new location at Lamoni, Iowa, remains to
be seen. They parade with great satisfaction the
findings of the court of common pleas of Lake
County, Ohio, as below, establishing their claim to
be the true church and lineal descendant of that
originated by the prophet. We quote from the
Herald at Lamoni :

“ In Court of Common Pleas, Lake County,
Ohio, February 23, 1880, present Hon. L. S. Sher¬
man, Judge.

“ The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Lat¬
ter-Day Saints, Plaintiff.

vs.

“ Lucien Williams, Joseph Smith, Sarah E. Videon,
Mark H. Forscutt, The Church inUtah, of which
John Taylor is President, and commonly known
as the Mormon Church, and John Taylor,
President of said Utah Church, Defendants.

“ That the said Plaintiff, the Reorganized Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is a religious
society, founded and organized upon the same doc¬
trines and tenets, and having the same Church
organization, as the original Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints, organized in 1830, by Joseph

THE MORMON TEMPLES.

Smith, and was organized pursuant to the Consti¬
tution, laws and usages of said original Church, and
has branches located in Illinois, Ohio and other
States.

“ That the Church in Utah, the defendant, of
which John Taylor is President, has materially and
largely departed from the faith, doctrines, laws,
ordinances and usages, of said original Church of
Jesus Christ ot Latter-Day Saints, and has incor¬
porated into its system of faith the doctrines of
celestial marriage and a plurality of wives, and the
doctrine of Adam-God worship, contrary to the laws
and constitution of said original Church. And the
court do further find that the Plaintiff, the Re¬
organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, is the true and lawful continuation of and
successor to the original Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, organized in 1830, and is en¬
titled by law to all its rights and property.”

Whether the “ Church in Utah, of which John
Taylor is President,” defended the suit, does not
appear ; but it is clear that, according to the tenets
and laws and usages, as laid down in the books
accepted by both plaintiff and defendant, the find¬
ings of the court were just.

And so Joseph the younger has been authorita¬
tively pronounced to be the legal successor of Jo¬
seph the elder, as President of the Mormon Church ;
and the claims of Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon,
Strang, the Patriarch Bill, and all the rest, denied.
This gives him, and his Reconstructed Branch, a
pre-eminence not to be disputed.

388 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE RECONSTRUCTED MORMON CHURCH.

A history of Mormonism would be incomplete
without some reference to that branch of the sect
known as the “ Reconstructed,” over which Joseph
Smith, son of the prophet, now presides.

When Brigham Young withdrew with the main
portion of the broken sect, on their perilous journey
into the wilderness, he left behind, scattered in
various directions, a number of once principal lead¬
ers with a considerable following. The Laws, the
Fosters, the Higbees, owners and managers of the
destroyed press, had gone off never to return ;
General Bennett had been beaten in his quarrel with
the prophet, but still had a hankering after the
flesh-pots ; Rigdon had been ignominiously cut off
from the church; “Brother William,” the Patri¬
arch, with Marks, Robinson, and many others, had
chosen to go the way not taken by Brigham and
the Twelve. James J. Strang had already set up
a “stake” at Yoree, in Wisconsin, and there a
number of these after a time joined him. Even
Bennett, Rigdon, the Patriarch William, and strong-
lunged John E. Page, after various wanderings,

THE RECONSTRUCTED CHURCH.

essayed to gather the remnants around the Zion at
Voree. But Strang’s revelations proved unprofit¬
able, and his venture failed. Bennett left for
greener pastures, and Higdon repaired to Pennsyl¬
vania, his boyhood home, and died.

What was the true origin of the “ Reconstructed
Branch,” it is hard now to tell ; but it seems to
have grown out of this Strang movement.

At the time of the exodus to Salt Lake, there
were left behind and still residents of Nauvoo, the
widow and family of the dead Prophet. These
resisted all the importunities of Brigham and his
followers to go with them. The son Joseph (the
third of the name) , was then a boy ; and we have
the best authority for the statement that neither
he nor his mother believed in the Divine Mission of
the father and husband, or that his death was a
martyrdom to religious faith; and at that time
considered themselves as standing entirely aloof
from the sect. Great efforts were made by the
chiefs, on their departure, to obtain the co-operation
of the widow and son, hoping thereby, to secure a
larger following of the people. The mother is stated
to have kept a watchful eye upon the boy, fearing
that he might yield to the seductive offers that were
made him. But he, too, hated and despised them ;
and after they had become settled in the Salt Lake

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA .

valley, and lie was again approached, he absolutely
refused to yield to their tempting offers.

But influences were at work on the other side.
Strang was issuing a little organ at Voree, called
Zion's Reveille , edited by John Greenhow, who
had figured at Nauvoo. In this organ, as early as
1847, we find the following :

“The First Presidency. — Young Joseph
Smith (eldest son of the martyred prophet) has
been appointed one of the first presidents of the
church, by revelation, in the place of his uncle
Hyrum, and William Marks has been appointed his
coadjutor in like manner. The first presidency now
consists of James J. Strang, (in place of Joseph
Smith martyred,) George J. Adams, (in place of
Sidney Rigdon, apostatized,) and Joseph Smith,
(in place of Hyrum Smith, martyred). William
Smith, the only surviving brother of Joseph and
Hyrum, is the chief Patriarch, and as the Patriarch
of the whole church has always held a seat in the
councils of the first Presidency as coadjutor, that
high prerogative will be freely accorded to him, by
virtue of his patriarchate.”

Just what his age was at the time of this appoint¬
ment we are not advised, nor whether he duly
accepted. But it seems that so late as 1866, at an
annual conference, the work was completed, and
the ‘ ‘ Reorganized Church of Latter-Day Saints ”
put in running order, with Joseph Smith, the third,
at its head.

In a newspaper of that date, we find an address
made by the new prophet and president, the read-

27772 RECONSTRUCTED CHURCH. i

ing of which will show that, like his father, he
claimed to be “Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,’
stating, however, that he had his ‘ ‘ own peculiar
notion in regard to revelation,” but did not state
what that notion was. He seemed to he impressed
with the belief that his claim to the position would
not be rejected, and that the “great name ” of
Joseph Smith carried with it some moral force.

The headquarters of the ‘ ‘ Reconstructed ” Church
were established at Plano, Illinois, the printing
press set at work, and the business of proselyting
vigorously prosecuted. Since, churches have been
established in many places, and con verts made —
among them people of character and worth ; and
the sect may be regarded as one of the well-ordered
and established sects of the country. Its origin,
as preceding chapters have amply shown, was a
most absurd and wicked fraud and delusion.

That these people, under our free system of gov¬
ernment, have a right to organize a sect, and build
a system of religious faith upon the Book of Mor¬
mon, or the equally veritable story of Baron Mun¬
chausen, or any other, nobody will deny, whatever
one may think of the character of the enterprise.
Perhaps some of the previously existing sects have
had equally absurd foundations ; hence, as long
as they conduct themselves in an orderly and de¬
cent manner and obey the laws, they will be equal!}'

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

entitled with all other citizens, to the law’s protec¬
tion.

While building upon the same foundation with
their brethren in Utah, and accepting the silly
story that brought them both into existence as
organizations, they very properly reject the mon¬
strous doctrines inculcated there — doctrines which
have made that territory a foul blot upon the
nation’s fame. Yet, strange to say — and it is a
conspicuous example of human weakness and
inconsistency — while denouncing the doctrines,
they revere and hold as a martyr him who first
declared and inculcated them. From this position
there is no escape ; a position they must forever
face.

To say that a large portion of these people, now
and in the past, in the States, and in Utah, are
not sincere believers in what they profess, would,
doubtless, be untrue and extremely uncharitable ;
yet how any of the leaders — from the first
“ Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,” down to the
latest in Utah, and the more modest “ President ”
of the Keconstructed — can be honest, is past com¬
prehension ; a conundrum which all inquirers will
be compelled to “give up.”

The difference in creed and practice, between
these two branches of the sect, is mainly in the
matter of polygamy, and the Blood Atonement.

THE BECONSTBUCTED CHUBCH.

Here in the States, among the members of the new
church, we hear little of polygamy, except in
denunciation ; nor do we hear any more of Danite
Bands to keep apostasy in check.

394

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA ,

CHAPTER XL.

POLYGAMY AND THE BLOOD ATONEMENT.

The Twin Evils of Mormonism— Polygamy in Utah-
Denounced by the “ Reconstructed ” — Originated by
the Prophet— Proofs Adduced— Blood Atonement
Defined by Young — Known in Missouri and Illinois
— Smith and Rigdon Its Authors.

These two most foul and dangerous doctrines of
the Mormon scheme are, at the present, eliciting
much thought and inquiry, and attracting atten¬
tion among our legislators. Were they introduced
by the Prophet Smith, and inculcated by him and
his followers, or have they been engrafted into the
creed since these people became denizens of the wil¬
derness? are inquiries herein to be considered.
The members of the Reconstructed Latter-Day
Church are very active in their efforts to show
that polygamy is not a true Mormon doctrine ; and
they denounce its practice on the part of their
brethren in Utah, in like severe terms with all
Christian sects and decent civilized people. In this,
their sincerity and honesty need not be questioned.
They quote, and quite truly, from the Book of Mor¬
mon , and from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants ,
as well as from all the public teachings of the

POLYGAMY— BLOOD ATONEMENT. 395

prophet, numerous passages pointedly and dis¬
tinctly against the system. And they challenge the
Utah people to point to one sentence, authorizing
or sanctioning it, prior to Brigham Young’s pre¬
tended revelation of August 29, 1852. So far,
they have the argument on their side. There is
nothing that we have been able to discover, in all
of Joseph Smith’s acknowledged writings or public
utterances, to justify this claim set up in Utah.

The Utah brethren — some of them — admit this ;
but claim that at the prophet’s death the period had
not arrived for its promulgation ; and they parade
the new revelation above mentioned, as having
been given to him and laid away until that proper
time should arrive. When Brigham announced it
in 1852, in Salt Lake, he stated that it had been
given to Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, on the 12th day
of July, 1843, nearly a year before his death; and
that he (Young) had it in possession ever since.
But the document was in his own handwriting, a
circumstance he accounted for by the assertion that
Mrs. Emma Smith, the widow, had purloined and
destroyed the original. But why had he previously
copied it? — had he done so in anticipation of her
act? The story looks very much like a fabrication.

The revelation thus promulgated is entitled :
« ‘ A Kevelation on the Patriarchal Order of Mat¬
rimony , or Plurality of Wives, Given to Joseph

396

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Smith, the Seer, in JSfauvoo, July 12, 1843."
It is very lengthy, containing twenty-five sections,
and is miserably disgusting and blasphemous.
Emanating either from Smith or Young, it fur¬
nishes the basis for the introduction of polygamy
into the Mormon creed, and as such we give it a
place in these pages. It permits, yea, commands,
in all its outrageous details, under the threatened
penalty of “ damnation,” for disobedience, the
system of polygamy as now practiced by the lead¬
ers in Utah. And it must be confessed that it is
little, if any, more disgusting than many of Smith’s
acknowledged utterances. And it contains some
things, too, that would seem to have been the work
of his own mind; though these may have been
introduced by Young to more readily serve his pur¬
pose of deception. One of these is the pains taken
to conciliate Emma and prepare her for the new
dispensation. In it she is directly addressed by
name, and commanded to “ obey,” or she will be
destroyed.

Although this utterance of Brigham Young, nine
years after its professed delivery from on high,
looks much like a forgery on his part, yet still there
were many circumstances leading to show that it
may have been truly what he claimed for it. There
is unquestionable evidence that in 1843 and 1844 —
both before and after Smith’s death — the subject of

POLYGAMY-BLOOD ATONEMENT. 397

polygamy (or what was then termed “ Spiritual
Wifery ”), was much discussed at Nauvoo. It had
not, of course, been openly incorporated into the
creed, by revelation or otherwise. Indeed, such
was the force of outside and inside pressure, that it
was necessary to meet the charge with the loudest
denials. The two organs teemed with those de¬
nials, down to 1846 or ’47, when they ceased to
exist. John Taylor, lately at the head of the
church in Utah, and counting several wives, was
the editor of both those organs in Nauvoo. If
Brigham had this sweet-scented document locked
up in his drawer for three or four years in Illinois,
and as many more in Salt Lake, would not John
Taylor have been likely to know it ? The publica¬
tion of the document as emanating from Smith,
whether truly or not, places the whole of them in
an awkward dilemma, let them adopt which horn
of it they choose.

Although the members of the Reconstructed
Branch may successfully show that none of their
text-books teach or authorize polygamy, they will
not be able to show that Joseph Smith, whom they
reverence as a prophet, a man of God, and a martyr,
was not the originator of the thought. The facts
are too well known to all who were conversant
with Mormon history in Nauvoo in the days of his
power. We have it from good authority that this

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

question is what, with others, caused Oliver Cow-
dery to separate from him. Public opinion and
the laws of the land prevented the doctrine from
being openly avowed and practiced in the States.
But in the Rocky Mountains, where they erected
an independent empire, and wrought out their own
system, unrestrained by law, or public opinion, or
the decent usages of civilization, the doctrine was
soon proclaimed. Had the main body remained in
the States, it would have been “ Spiritual Wifery ”
still, with a “ we-would-if-we-dare” effort to adopt
it as a creed, denied to the world, and practiced
in the harems of the leaders. There is said to
be one prominent leader high in authority now
in Utah, whose legal wife refused to leave Nau-
voo with him, because he would not agree to
forego the pleasures of the system in the wilder¬
ness ; and an estimable woman, wife of another
leader there, who went with her husband, but who,
because of the abominations she witnessed before
leaving, still lives in the midst of its corruptions,
hating Mormonism as she hates the Prince of Dark¬
ness.

It is also well understood that when the great rebel¬
lion against the prophet occurred in 1844, and a new
church was organized, and a paper started to oppose
him, this was one of the chief charges brought
©gainst him. That paper, the Nauvoo Expositor,

POLYG AMT-BLOOD ATONEMENT. 399

under date of June 7, 1844 (a year after the date
named by Young as that of the supposed revelation) ,
contained a long protest from the members of the
new church, charging the prophet with teaching
the doctrine of “ Celestial Marriage.” One of the
affidavits, made by Mr. Austin Cowles, a member
of the high council, certifies that a document pur¬
porting to be a revelation from heaven authorizing
and commanding them to have more wives than one,
was read to him as early as the latter part of the
summer of 1843 ! Other testimonies of similar
purport were made at the same time. These affida¬
vits, made in 1844, before the prophet’s death,
strongly support Brigham Young’s statement in
Utah, nine years later.

It is remembered, also, that the main body of the
prophet’s adherents stoutly denied these charges,
and denounced those making them as liars and per¬
jurers. Yet, of late years, in Utah, they have
thrown off all disguises, and, contradicting their
own declarations of former days, now claim that
“ Joseph” was not only the revelator of the doc¬
trine, but with disgusting particularity, declare that
they knew of his practicing it long before it was
revealed to him from heaven. The Deseret News,
the official daily organ of the church, is said to
have lately published affidavits stating this fact, and
citing the names of certain women now living in

400

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Utah, who were in Nauvoo among the prophet’s
plural wives. One of these, Miss Eliza R. Snow,
was well-known in Illinois as a poetess of no mean
powers, whose pen often contributed through the
Mormon papers to the glory of Zion and the great¬
ness of the prophet. We now learn where she
obtained her inspiration.

So that, whether the revelation promulgated by
Brigham Young in 1852, was really the work of
Smith or not, makes but little difference. It was,
at any rate, if nothing more, an off-shoot of that
poisonous Upas tree planted by him long before his
death, and which Young and Hyde, and Kimball
and Taylor, and the Pratts, have all these years so
assiduously watered and nurtured. The Recon¬
structed brethren will hardly succeed in shifting
the responsibility. Yet they do well in rejecting
the creed. But — and to this question we desire to
call their serious attention — should the genuine¬
ness of that latest revelation ever be fully estab¬
lished (as it may be) , what then ? Will they dis¬
own its doctrines still, and denounce its real author,
as they now denounce its reputed forger ? Or will
they make a virtue of necessity, and engraft the
whole of their prophet’s teachings into their creed,
as they now do a part ? They should consider well
the position they occupy.

And so with the doctrine of “Blood Atone-

POLYGAMY-BLOOD ATONEMENT. 401

ment.” The annals of religious fanaticism can
scarcely present a parallel to its atrocity, and yet it
claimed to be in obedience to the Divine Injunction,
“ Love one another ! ” And, strange to say, this
doctrine is so little understood, that it has lately
been referred to in a Chicago pulpit, as “ one of
those tenets of the Christian creed, accepted by
Mormons in common with all other denomina¬
tions ! ”*

To show what blood atonement really means, let
us refer to some of the utterances of Brigham Young
and others in Utah. In a sermon delivered in the
Tabernacle in Salt Lake, on February 8, 1857,
Brigham used the following language :

* * When will we love our neighbors as ourselves ?
In the first place, Jesus said that no man hateth
his own flesh. It is admitted by all that every
person loves himself. Now, if we do rightly love
ourselves, we want to be saved and continue to
exist ; we want to go into the Kingdom where we
can enjoy eternity, and see no more sorrow or
death. This is the desire of every person who be¬
lieves in God. Now, take a person in this congre¬
gation, who has knowledge with regard to being
saved in the Kingdom of our God and our Father,
and being exalted ; one who knows and understands
the principles of eternal life, and sees the beauties
and excellencies of the eternities before him, com¬
pared with the vain and foolish things of the world ;
and suppose that he is overtaken in a gross fault,
that he has committed a sin that he knows will
deprive him of that exaltation which he desires,

* Kev. Dr. Thomas, sermon, February, 1882.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

and that he cannot attain to it without the shed¬
ding of his blood ; and also knows that by having
his blood shed he will atone for that sin, and be
saved and exalted with the Gods — is there a man
or woman in this house, but would say, ‘ Shed my
blood, that I might be saved and exalted with the
Gods’?

{ « All mankind love themselves ; and let those
principles be known by an individual, and he would
be glad to have his blood shed. This would be
loving ourselves even unto an eternal exaltation.
Will you love your brothers or sisters likewise,
when they have a sin that cannot be atoned for
without the shedding of blood ? Will you love that
man or woman well enough to shed their blood ?
That is what Jesus Christ meant! He never told
a man or woman to love their enemies in their
wickedness, never ! He never meant any such
thing. . . .

‘ ‘ I could refer you to plenty of instances where
men have been righteously slain in order to
atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hun¬
dreds of people for whom there would have been a
chance (in the last resurrection there will be) , if
their lives had been taken and their blood spilled
on the ground as a smoking incense to the Al¬
mighty, but who are now angels to the devil, until
our elder brother, Jesus Christ, raises them up,
conquers death, hell and the grave.

‘ ‘ I have known a great many men who have left
this Church, for whom there is no chance whatever
for exaltation ; but if their blood had been spilled
it would have been better for them.

“ The wickedness and ignorance of the na¬
tions FORBID THIS PRINCIPLE BEING IN FULL FORCE ;

BUT THE TIME WILL COME when the law of
God will be in full force. ( ! ) This is loving
our neighbors as ourselves ; if he needs help,

POLYGAMY— BLOOD ATONEMENT. 403

HELP HIM. If HE WANTS SALVATION, AND IT IS
NECESSARY TO SPILL HIS BLOOD ON THE EARTH, IN
ORDER THAT HE MAY BE SAVED, SPILL IT. ( ! ! )

“ Now, brethren and sisters, will you live your
religion ? How many hundreds of times have I
asked that question ? Will the Latter-Day Saints
live their religion ? ”

On another occasion he said :

“I know, when you hear my brethren telling
about cutting people off from the earth, that you
consider it a strong doctrine ; but it is to save them,
not to destroy them. . . .

“ There are sins that can be atoned for by an
offering upon an altar, as in ancient days ; and there
are sins that the blood of a lamb, of a calf, or of
turtle doves, cannot remit, but they must be atoned
for by the blood of the man. . . .”

On an occasion, when preaching against apostasy
— and apostasy from the Mormon Church has ever
been one of the unpardonable sins, for the punish¬
ment of which the blood atonement has always been
invoked — he used the following language :

“ Now, you Gladdenites [followers of Gladden
Bishop, an apostate], keep your tongues still, lest
sudden destruction come upon you. I say, rather
than that the apostates should flourish here, I will
unsheath my bowie-knife, and conquer or die.
Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment
will be laid to the line and righteousness to the
plummet. If you say it is all right [to the audi¬
ence], raise your hands. Let us call upon the Lord
to assist us in this and every other good work.”

During the delivery of the above there was a
great outburst of approbation, and when the con-

404 THE PBOPHET OF PALMYBA.

gregation was called to raise hands, all hands were
Raised, except those under condemnation. . The
Gladdenites sought other fields of labor. Brigham
Toung was not the only one who thus preached
Blood Atonement. He was echoed by several
others. Thus, Jedediah M. Grant, one of the three
presidents :

“ I say there are men and women here, that I
Would advise to go to the President immediately,
and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to
their case, and then let a place be selected, and let
that committee shed their blood.

“We have been trying long enough with this
people, and I go in for letting the sword of the
Almighty to be unsheathed, not only in word, but
in deed.”

The foregoing, and numerous other quotations
that might be made if necessary, are not the idle
and unproven statements of Gentile enemies ; but
are faithful transcripts from their own authorized
publications. They show clearly what the doctrine
of Blood Atonement means in Utah. That doc¬
trine has become a firmly established law in that
territory, under the terrible despotism of the Priest¬
hood. Its spirit — under the guise of love to man
— is as vindictive, and its modes and methods as
secret, and silent, and sure, as those of the Spanish
Inquisition. It means simply that apostasy, and
all other sins against the church — or whatever the
First Presidency choose to define as such — are to

POL Y GAMY— BLOOD ATONEMENT. 405

be punished with death. It means that all power,
temporal and spiritual, is made to reside in the
church, and that the one man, whom they call its
President, is that church’s supreme infallible ex¬
ponent, whose voice is to be obeyed as the voice
of God !

We do not observe that the Reconstructed Mor¬
mon branch in the States, have much to say in
denunciation of this Blood Atonement doctrine. Is
it possible they do not see that it is as great and a
more dangerous evil than polygamy? Nor does it
appear that the people of the United States,
or our legislators, are as fully alive to its enor-
mity as its nature demands. Destroy that priestly
power which is supreme and overrides every¬
thing in Utah, and the evils of Mormonism and
polygamy even, can soon be eradicated from Amer¬
ican soil.

It is interesting, too, to inquire into the origin
of this Atonement doctrine. Who, among the band,
first inculcated it? Who first made it a tenet
of the church creed? Brigham Young’s broad
shoulders — much of blood and rapine, and blas¬
phemy, and crime against government and law as
they are justly doomed to bear — must not be laden
with more than is just. As we have shown that
polygamy had its origin in the States, so we shall
show that this Blood Atonement creed was taught

406

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

and practiced there also, years before Brigham’s
reign in Utah.

David Whitmer, always a good witness with
them, when recently inteiwiewed by the Kansas
City Journal, says the Danite Band of Destroying
Angels, was originated by Smith and Rigdon to be
used against apostates, and that he and Oliver Cow-
dery had to flee for their lives. Orson Hyde, in
his quarrel with Rigdon in Nauvoo, in 1845, twits
him with hiding slain apostates in the Missouri
bush a few years before. Rigdon’s celebrated
“ Salt Sermon,” delivered one fourth of July in
Missouri, contains the essence of the doctrine ; and
that sermon was at the time extolled and echoed by
the leaders, though afterwards condemned as ill-
timed and impolitic. How many of the seceders,
in the days of Smith and Rigdon in Missouri and
Illinois, were made to atone with their blood for
their transgressions — ‘ ‘ fall backward at their horse’s
heels ” — Mr. Whitmer does not say, and it will
never be known.

Like polygamy, Blood Atonement was practiced
in the days of the prophet — not taught ; used as
an instrument of power — not proclaimed as an
emanation from the Divine Will. In short, it is
safe to say, that the Mormonism, as it existed in
Ohio, in Missouri, in Illinois, during the years
1830 to 1847, bore a strong resemblance to that

POLYGAMY— BLOOD ATONEMENT. 407

of 1856 in Utah, and to-day ; differing in degree,
and by reason of changed circumstances only ; and
that the gigantic evils that have been growing up
with it in all these years, were planted and nurtured
in its soil from the beginning.

408

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XLI.

THE SPALDING ROMANCE.

Review op the Situation— Dr. Hurlbut and E. D. Howe
— Tiieir Book, “Mormonism Unveiled” — Solomon
Spalding’s “ Manuscript Found” — Effort to Obtain
It — Recent Statements Concerning It.

It has been charged that the Book of Mormon,
instead of being a translation from golden plates,
bearing a valuable message from heaven, as claimed
by Joseph Smith, was really based on a romance
known as Manuscript Found, written by a cer¬
tain Presbyterian clergyman, as long ago as 1814.
This charge is, and always has been, stoutly denied
by Mormon writers, and the proof demanded. They,
some of them at least, doubtless know why it is
the document cannot be produced to substantiate
the charge. But it so happens that there are other
ways of establishing the fact. There are not,
probably, now living, any persons outside of the
Mormon connection, who are in possession of the
secret, as to where, and when, and how it was
effected, and by whom ; but that the Spalding work
did get into the hands of Smith and his co-laborers
in deception, and was made the basis of the mis¬
erable structure known as the Book of Mormon, is

THE SPALDING ROMANCE.

now as clear as human testimony can make it. The
history of that romance is a curious one ; and the
proofs of its being the ground work on which_the
Mormon fraud was built, are so many and so various,
that we shall be pardoned for devoting so much
space to their consideration.

The reader will remember that the Smith family
resided, from 1825 to 1830, during the incubation
period of the fraud, at the village of Palmyra, New
York, and at Manchester, near by. The Booh of Mor¬
mon was printed in 1829-30, at Palmyra, and pub¬
lished to the world in the last named year. About the
time of its publication a church was formed, and
soon afterwards it was decided to emigrate to, and
settle and build a Zion in, North-eastern Ohio.
At this place, Kirtland, a large settlement was
made, a temple begun, and many converts made.
Among these converts, was a certain Dr. Philastus
Hurlbut. This doctor soon quarrelled with the
leaders, and was expelled or withdrew from the
church ; and going to Painesville, induced Mr. E.
D. Howe, of the Painesville Telegraph, to get up
an expose of Mormonism. This was in 1833
or ’34, and the book was published in 1834, only
four years after the Booh of Mormon had been
printed.

When the Booh of Mormon appeared in Ohio,
during the year of its publication or year after, some

410

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of tlie old residents in the region recognized in it
an old acquaintance. This old acquaintance was a
manuscript work written by Rev. Solomon Spald¬
ing, who, sixteen years before, had resided at
Conneaut Creek, in the vicinity — a book which he
had denominated The Manuscript Found. Mr.
Spalding was a retired clergyman, poor and in debt,
and in bad health. He had become interested in
some mounds in the vicinity, and his thoughts dwelt
much upon the pre-liistoric inhabitants of this coun¬
try ; so much so, that he resolved to write a pre¬
tended history of such a people, and in “ Scripture
style.” It cannot be denied that the reverend
gentleman, though honest and well-meaning, was
something of a “crank,” and possessed of an ill-
balanced mind. While his romance was in prog¬
ress, he took frequent occasion to read portions of
it to his neighbors and friends ; and by reason of
its peculiarity of style, and the names he intro¬
duced, as well as the incidents narrated, it made an
impression on their memories. This manuscript,
with some others, was written in 1812 to 1814.
In the latter year he removed to Pittsburgh, and
thence to Amity, Washington County, Pennsyl¬
vania, where he died in 1816.

Such was the reception of the Book of Mormon
in the vicinity of Spalding’s old home, when it first
made its appearance among them.

THE SPALDING ROMANCE.

411

Aware of this charge of plagiarism, Mr. Howe
dispatched Dr. Hurlbut to Massachusetts, where
the widow Spalding (then Mrs. Davison, having
remarried) , resided, for the purpose of procuring
the Manuscript Found, with which to confront
Mormonism. He also went among Spalding’s old
neighbors at Conneaut, and brought to Mr. Howe
a large number of testimonials from them ; and he
likewise visited the region around Palmyra, Smith’s
former residence, and procured much testimony
showing the character of the Smith family, and the
folly and falsity of the prophet’s pretensions.

In due time, Howe’s Mormonism Unveiled —
(Hurlbut’s name not appearing on its title page),
was issued ; but it contained no citations from the
Manuscript Found. A copy of thiswork — a later
edition, printed in 1840, with its title changed to
History of Mormonism — now lies before us. We
copy below what its author says about Spalding’s
romance, which will explain why no extracts were
made from it :

“ But our inquiries did not terminate here. Our
next object was to ascertain, if possible, the dispo¬
sition Spalding made of his manuscripts. For this
purpose a messenger was dispatched to look up the
widow of Spalding, who was found residing in
Massachusetts. From her we learned that Spald¬
ing resided in Pittsburgh about two years, when
he removed to Amity, Washington County, Pa.,
where he lived about two years, and died in 1810*.

412

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

His widow then removed to Onondaga County,
N. Y. , married again, and lived in Otsego County,
and subsequently removed to Massachusetts. She
states that Spalding had a great variety of manu¬
scripts, and recollects that one was entitled the
Manuscript Found, but of its contents she has now
no distinct knowledge. While they lived in Pitts¬
burgh, she thinks it was once taken to the printing
office of Patterson & Lambdin; but whether it was
ever brought back to the house again, she is quite
uncertain ; if it was, however, it was then with his
other writings, in a trunk which she had left in
Otsego County, N. Y. This is all the information
that could be obtained from her, except that Mr.
Spalding while living, entertained a strong antip¬
athy to the Masonic Institution, which may account
for its being so frequently mentioned in the Boole
of Mormon. The fact also, that Spalding, in the
latter part of his life, inclined to infidelity, is estab¬
lished by a letter in his hand-writing, now in our
possession.*

“ The trunk referred to by the widow, was sub¬
sequently examined, and found to contain only a
single MS. book, in Spalding’s hand- writing, con¬
taining about one quire of paper. This is a ro¬
mance, purporting to have been translated from the
Latin, found on 24 rolls of parchment, in a cave
on the banks of Conneaut Creek, but written in
modern style, and giving a fabulous account of a
ship's being driven upon the American coast, while
proceeding from Pome to Britain, a short time pre¬
vious to the Christian Era A this country being then
inhabited by the Indians. This old MS. has been

* The reader will have occasion to remember this letter
hereafter, as establishing an important point in this history.

t The reader will have occasion to refer to this description,
given by Howe in 1884, when perusing what follows in a chap¬
ter further on.

THE SPALDING ROMANCE.

413

shown to several of the foregoing witnesses, who
recognize it as Spalding’s, he having told them that
he had altered his first plan of writing, by going
further back with dates, and writing in the old
scripture style, in order that it might appear more
ancient. They say that it bears no resemblance to
the Manuscript Found.” — Hotoe’s History of Mor-
monism , p. 287.

The reader will have need to remember the fore¬
going description of the MS. brought to Mr. Howe
by Hurlbut. It was evidently not the work sought
for, and, of course, could not be used, and, as
Spalding’s friends stated, bore no resemblance to
the Manuscript Found.

Hurlbut has frequently stated that the MS. was
obtained from the Spalding family under a promise
to return it. The reason this was not done, has
never been satisfactorily explained by him or Howe.
That it was not so returned is to be regretted'; as
its return to the family might have been the means
of turning their attention to the other, which had
disappeared, and led to its recovery, or some more
positive knowledge concerning it, than is now
attainable.

The surviving members of the Spalding family
have always blamed Hurlbut (not knowing any¬
thing of Howe until latterly) for refusing or neg¬
lecting to return the MS., or to respond when ad¬
dressed. Both of these gentlemen have frequently
been addressed on the subject, and their explana-

414

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

tion sought, by writers on Mormonism ; and it can¬
not be denied that their explanations are somewhat
contradictory and unsatisfactory. Some of these
later replies we quote. In one instance, Dr. Hurl-
but says, under date of May 7, 1881 : “ I never
had it ( Manuscript Found ) in my possession. I
had some of his writings, but nothing pertaining
to Mormonism.” To Mrs. Ellen E. Dickinson, a
friend and relative of the Spaldings, he made a
sworn statement of similar purport. (See Scrib¬
ner's Magazine, October, 1881.) But she states
that he subsequently admitted to her, that he just
peeped into the MS. and saw the names of “ Mo¬
roni,” “ Mormon,” “ Nephi,” and “ Lamanite.”
Here is some error, certainly, of fact or memory ;
for the MS. he brought to Howe contained no one
of those names, as will be shown hereafter ; and of
all Spalding’s writings, they are to be found only in
the Manuscript Found, and this the doctor says he
never had. Another statement of his we give in
his own words, in a letter to an inquirer :

“ Gibsonburg, O., Aug. 19, 1879.

“ I visited Mrs. Matilda (Spalding) Davison at
Monson, Mass., in 1834, and never saw her after-
terwards. I then received from her a manuscript
of her husband’s, which I did not read, but brought
home with me, and immediately gave it to Mr. E.
D. Howe of Painesville, O., who was then engaged
in preparing his book, Mormonism Unveiled. I
do not know whether or not the document I received

THE SPALDING ROMANCE. 415

from Mrs. Davison, was Spalding’s Manuscript
Found, as I never read it ; but, whatever it was,
Mr. Howe received it under the condition on which
I took it from Mrs. Davison — to compare it with the
Book of Mormon, and then return it to her. I
have never received any other MS. of Spalding’s
from Mrs. Davison or any one else. Of that man¬
uscript I made no other use, than to give it, with
all my other documents connected with Mormon-
ism, to Mr. Howe. I did not destroy the MS. or
dispose of it to Joe Smith, or any other person.
No promise was made by me to Mrs. Davison that
she should receive any portion of profits arising
from the publication of the manuscript, if it should
be published. All the affidavits procured by me
for Mr. Howe’s book, including all those from Pal¬
myra, N. Y., were certainly genuine.

“ D. P. Hurlbut.”

The latter portion of the foregoing has reference
to suspicions that had been hinted at, that Hurlbut
had really obtained the Manuscript Found, and
instead of delivering it to Howe, had sold it to the
Mormon prophet. There did seem to be ground
for suspicion against one or both of these men. They
failed to return the work as promised, or to give
satisfaction concerning it ; and their disagreeing
statements as to how and of whom it was obtained,
led the Spaldings and the public to doubt their in¬
tegrity. It is extremely remarkable, too, that Dr.
Hurlbut should go all the way to Massachusetts, in
order to obtain a certain manuscript, that was ex¬
pected to be the most important thing of all, in the
proposed publication, and return without knowing

416

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

whether the thing obtained was what was wanted.
A slight reading of half-a-dozen pages, or even of
its title page, would have shown him whether it was
the ‘ * confounding of language ” contained in the
Book of Mormon.

In a late letter to the writer of these pages, Mr.
Howe says :

“ I know the descendants of Spalding are making
a great blow about that old MS. ; but I am as well
satisfied now as I was then, that Hurlbut never had
any thing at all similar to what was called the Man¬
uscript Found. All he got of Spalding’s was fully
described in my book, and was in my possession for
several years, and I suppose was destroyed by fire.”

What the Spaldings say of the matter is reserved
for another chapter.

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 417

CHAPTER XLH.

STATEMENTS OF THE SPALDING FAMILY.

Mrs. Davison’s Statement — Denied by the Mormons —
Mrs. Dickinson’s Publication in “ Scribner’s Maga¬
zine”— J. E. Johnson in “ Deseret News” — Disagree¬
ing Statements.

The first publication in reference to the Spald¬
ing Romance, made by any of the family, was in
1839. It was written for the Boston Recorder, and
published in that paper — purporting to emanate
from Mrs. Matilda Davison, the widow of Rev.
Solomon Spalding. As an important link in the
chain of evidence, we give it entire :

Mrs. (Spalding) Davison’s Statement.

‘ ‘ Learning recently that Mormonism has found
its way into a Church in Massachusetts, and has
impregnated some of its members with its gross
delusions, so that excommunication has become
necessary, I am determined to delay no longer
doing what I can to strip the mask from this mon¬
ster of sin, and to lay open this pit of abominations.
Rev. Solomon Spalding, to whom I was united in
marriage in early life, was a graduate of Dartmouth
College, and was distinguished for a lively imagin¬
ation and great fondness for history. At the time
of our marriage he resided in Cherry Valley, N. Y.
From this place we removed to New Salem, Ash¬
tabula County, Ohio — sometimes called Conneaut,
as it is situated upon Conneaut Creek. Shortly

418

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

after our removal to this place, his health sunk,
and he was laid aside from active labors. In the
town of New Salem there were numerous mounds
and forts, supposed by many to be the dilapidated
dwellings and fortifications of a race now extinct.
These ancient relics arrest the attention of the new
settlers, and become objects of research for the
curious. Numerous implements were found, and
other articles, evincing great skill in the arts. Mr.
Spalding, being an educated man, passionately fond
of history, took a lively interest in these develop¬
ments of antiquity ; and in order to beguile the
hours of retirement and furnish employment for his
lively imagination, conceived the idea of giving an
historical sketch of this long lost race. Their ex¬
treme antiquity would of course lead him to write
in the most ancient style, and as the Old Testa¬
ment is the most ancient book in the world, he
imitated its style as nearly as possible.

“ His sole object in writing this historical ro¬
mance was to amuse himself and neighbors. This
was about the year 1812. Hull’s surrender at De¬
troit occurred near the same time, and I recollect
the date well from that circumstance. As he pro¬
gressed in his narrative, the neighbors would come
in from time to time to hear portions read, and a
great interest in the work was excited among them.
It claimed to have been written by one of the lost
nation, and to have been recovered from the earth,
and assumed the title of Manuscript Found. The
neighbors would often inquire how Mr. S. progressed
in deciphering the manuscript ; and when he had
a sufficient portion prepared, he would inform them
and they would assemble to hear it read. He was
enabled from his acquaintance with the classics and
ancient history, to introduce many singular names,
which were particularly noticed by the people and
could be easily recognized by them. Mr. Solomon

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 419

Spalding had a brother, Mr. John Spalding, residing
in the place at the time, who was perfectly familiar
with this work, and repeatedly heard the whole of
it read. From New Salem we removed to Pitts¬
burgh, Pa. Here Mr. Spalding found an acquaint¬
ance and friend, in the person of Mr, Patterson, an
editor of a newspaper. He exhibited his manu¬
script to Mr. Patterson, who was very much pleased
with it, and borrowed it for perusal. He retained
it a long time, and informed Mr. S. that if he would
make out a title page and preface, he would publish
it, and it might be a source of profit. This Mr. S.
refused to do, for reasons I cannot now state.

“ Sidney Eigdon, who has figured so largely in
the history of the Mormons, was at this time con¬
nected with the printing office of Mr. Patterson, as
is well-known in that region, and as Eigdon him¬
self has frequently stated. Here he had ample
opportunity to become acquainted with Mr. Spald¬
ing’s manuscript, and -to copy it if he chose. It
was a matter of notoriety and interest to all who
were connected with the printing establishment.
At length the manuscript was returned to the au¬
thor, and soon after we removed to Amity, Wash¬
ington County, Pa., where Mr. Spalding deceased
in 1816. The manuscript fell into my hands and
was carefully preserved. It has frequently been
examined by my daughter, Mrs. McKinstry of Mon-
son, Mass., with whom I now reside, and by other
friends. After the Book of Mormon came out, a
copy of it was taken to New Salem, the place of
Mr. Spalding’s former residence, and the very place
where the Manuscript Found was written.

“ A woman preacher appointed a meeting there
(New Salem) , and in the meeting read and repeated
copious extracts from the Book of Mormon. The
historical part was immediately recognized by all the
older inhabitants as the identical work of Mr

420

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Spalding, in which they had been so deeply interested
years before. Mr. John Spalding was present, who
is an eminently pious man, and recognized perfectly
the work of his brother. He wras amazed and
afflicted, that it should have been perverted to so
wicked a purpose. His grief found vent in a flood
of tears, and he expressed in the meeting his deep
sorrow and regret that the writings of his sainted
brother should be used for a purpose so vile and
shocking. The excitement in New Salem became
so great, that the inhabitants had a meeting and
deputed Dr. Philastus Hurlbut, one of their number,
to repair to this place, and to obtain from me the
original manuscript of Mr. Spalding, for the pur¬
pose of comparing it with the Mormon Bible, to
satisfy their own minds, and to prevent their friends
and others from embracing an error so delusive.
This was in the year 1834. Dr. Hurlbut brought
with him an introduction and request for the man¬
uscript, signed by Messrs. Henry Lake, Aaron
Wright, and others, with all of whom I wTas ac¬
quainted, as they were my neighbors when I re¬
sided at New Salem. I am sure that nothing could
have given my husband more pain, were he living,
than the use which has been made of his work.

“ The air of antiquity which was thrown about
the composition, doubtless suggested the idea of
converting it to purposes of delusion. Thus an
historical romance, with the addition of a few
pious expressions, and extracts from the Sacred
Scriptures, has been construed into a New Bible,
and palmed off upon a company of poor deluded
fanatics, as divine. I have given the previous brief
narration, that this work of deception and wicked¬
ness may be searched to the foundation, and its
author exposed to the contempt and execration he
so justly deserves.

“ Matilda Davison.’

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 421

The foregoing was accompanied by a certificate
of good character, etc., from Rev. A. Ely, D.D.,
Pastor of the Congregational Church, and D. R.
Austin, Principal of Monson Academy, Monson,
Mass., under date of April 1, 1839. The Mormons
met this by a statement, that, on being interviewed
two or three years later, Mrs. [Davison denied having
written such a letter ; stating that it was the work
of Professor Austin himself, after a conversation
with her on the subject ; though she affirmed that
what was written “ was in the main true.” — Times
and Seasons, vol. i. p. 47.

This statement of Mrs. Davison’s was made five
years after the interview with Dr. Hurlbut, and but
nine years after the events she mentions as occurring
at New Salem. While portions of her story are
based upon her own knowledge, other portions
depend, of course, upon the statements of others.
It is just such a narrative as a wife might be ex¬
pected to make, who retained a reverence and affec¬
tion for a deceased husband and a partiality for his
Writings. Some of her statements may have been,
however, founded in error, as they are not all borne
out by subsequent developments. The Mormons
contradict her statement, concerning the “ woman
preacher ” reading from the Book of Mormon in
a public meeting, by the declaration that they never
had a woman preacher among them. True ; but

422

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

she does not say it was a Mormon preacher. New
Salem is in the midst of Quaker settlements, and
they have women preachers among them ; and it
may have been one of these, who, in the meeting,
was exposing the wickedness of the fraud.

In corroboration of Mrs. Davison’s statements,
Mrs. Ellen E. Dickinson, a relative of the Spalding
family, published in Scribner's Magazine for Au^
gust, 1880, a paper on the Boole of Mormon,
which is reproduced below :

“ Washington, D. C., April 3, 1880.

“ So much has been published that is erroneous
concerning the Manuscript Found, written by my
father, the Rev. Solomon Spaulding, and its sup¬
posed connection with the book called the Mormon
Bible, I have willingly consented to make the fol¬
lowing statement regarding it, repeating all that I
remember personally of this manuscript, and all
that is of importance which my mother related to
me in connection with it, at the same time affirming
that I am in tolerable health, and vigor, and that
my memory, in common with elderly people, is
clearer in regard to the events of my earlier years,
rather than those of my maturer life.

“ During the war of 1812, 1 was residing with my
parents in a little town in Ohio called Conneaut.
I was then in my sixth year. My father was in
business there, and I remember his iron foundry
and the men he had at work, but that he remained
at home most of the time, and was reading and
writing a great deal. He frequently wrote little
stories, which he read to me. There were some
round mounds of earth near our house which greatly
interested him, and he said a tree on the top of one

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 423

of them was a thousand years old. He set some of
his men to work digging into one of these mounds,
and I vividly remember how excited he became
when he heard that they had exhumed some human
bones, portions of gigantic skeletons, and various
relics. He talked with my mother of these discov¬
eries in the mound, and wras writing every day as
the work progressed. Afterward he read the man¬
uscript which I had seen him writing, to the neigh¬
bors, and to a clergyman, a friend of his who came
to see him. Some of the names that he mentioned
while reading to these people I have never forgot¬
ten. They are as fresh to me to-day as though
I heard them yesterday. They were ‘ Mormon ,’
‘ Maroni,’ ‘ Lamenite,’ ‘ N&phi'

“ We removed from Conneaut to Pittsburg
while I was still very young, but every circumstance
of this removal is distinct in my memory. In that
city my father had an intimate friend named Pat¬
terson, and I frequently visited Mr. Patterson’s
library with him, and heard my father talk about
books with him. In 1816 my father died at Amity,
Pennsylvania, and directly after his death my mother
and myself went to visit at the residence of my
mother’s brother, William H. Sabine, at Onondaga
Valley, Onondaga County, New York. Mr. Sabine
was a lawyer of distinction and wealth, and greatly
respected. We carried all our personal effects with
us, and one of these was an old trank, in which my
mother had placed all my father’s writings which
had been preserved. I perfectly remember the
appearance of this trank, and of looking at its con¬
tents. There were sermons and other papers, and
I saw a manuscript about an inch thick, closely
written, tied with some of the stories my father had
written for me, one of which he called ‘ The Frogs
ofWyndham.’ On the outside of this manuscript was
written the words, ‘Manuscript Found.’ I did not

424

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

read it, but looked through it and had it in my hands
many times, and saw the names I had heard at Con-
neaut, when my father read it to his friends. I was
about eleven years of age at this time.

“After we had been at my uncle’s for sometime,
my mother left me there and went to her father’s
house at Pomfret, Connecticut, but did not take her
furniture nor the old trunk of manuscripts with her.
In 1820 she married Mr. Davison, of Hartwicks, a
village near Cooperstown, New York, and sent for
the things she had left at Onondaga Valley, and I
remember that the old trunk, with its contents,
reached her in safety. In 1828, I was married to
Dr. A. McKinstry, of Hampden County, Massa¬
chusetts, and went there to reside. Very soon
after my mother joined me there, and was with me
most of the time until her death in 1844. We heard,
not long after she came to live with me — I do not
remember just how long — something of Mormon-
ism, and the report that it had been taken from my
father’s Manuscript Found; and then came to us
direct an account of the Mormon meeting at Con-
neaut, Ohio, and that, on one occasion, -when
the Mormon Bible was read there in public,
my father’s brother, John Spaulding, Mr. Lake
and many other persons who were present, at once
recognized its similarity to the Manuscript Foud,
which they had heard read years before by my father
in the same town. There was a great deal of talk and
a great deal published at this time about Mormon-
ism all over the country. I believe it was in 1834
that a man named Hurlburt came to my house at
Monson to see my mother, who told us that he had
been sent by a committee to procure the Manuscript
Found , written by the Rev. Solomon Spaulding,
so as to compare it with the Mormon Bible. He
presented a letter to my mother from my uncle,
William H. Sabine, of Onondaga Valley, in which he

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 425

requested her to loan this manuscript to Hurlburt,
as he (my uncle) was desirous to ‘ uproot * (as he
expressed it) ‘ this Mormon fraud.’ Hurlburt repre¬
sented that he had been a convert to Mormonism,
but had given it up, and through the Manuscript
Found wished to expose its wickedness. My
mother was careful to have me with her in all the
conversations she had with Hurlburt, who spent a
day at my house. She did not like his appearance,
and mistrusted his motives, but having great respect
for her brother’s wishes and opinions, she reluc¬
tantly consented to his request. The old trunk,
containing the desired Manuscript Found she had
placed in the care of Mr. Jerome Clark, of Hart-
wicks, when she came to Monson, intending to send
for it. On the repeated promise of Hurlburt to re¬
turn the manuscript to us, she gave him a letter to
Mr. Clark to open the trunk and deliver it to him.
We afterward heard that he did receive it from Mr.
Clark, at Hart wicks, but from that time we have
never had it in our possession, and I have no pres¬
ent knowledge of its existence, Hurlburt never re¬
turning it or answering letters requesting him to do
so. Two years ago I heard he was still living in
Ohio, and with my consent he was asked for the
Manuscript Found. He made no response, although
we have evidence that he received the letter con¬
taining the request. So far I have stated facts
within my knowledge. My mother mentioned many
other circumstances to me in connection with this
subject which are interesting, of my father’s literary
tastes, his fine education and peculiar temperament.
She stated to me that she had heard the manuscript
alluded to read by my father, was familiar with its
contents, and she deeply regretted that her hus¬
band, as she believed, had innocently been the
means of furnishing matter for a religious delusion.
She said that my fatherloaned this Manuscript Found

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

to Mr. Patterson, of Pittsburg, and that when he
returned it to my father, he said : ‘ Polish it up,
finish it, and you will make money out of it.’ My
mother confirmed my remembrances of my father’s
fondness for history, and told me of his frequent
conversations regarding a theory which he had of a
prehistoric race which had inhabited this continent,
etc. , all showing that his mind dwelt on this subject.
The Manuscript Found, she said, was a romance
written in Biblical style, and that while she heard
it read she had no especial admiration for it more
than other romances he wrote and read to her. We
never, either of us, ever saw, or in any way com¬
municated with the Mormons, save Hurlburt, as
above described ; and while we have no personal
knowledge that the Mormon Bible was taken from
the Manuscript Found, there were many evidences
to us that it was, and that Hurlburt and others at
the time thought so. A convincing proof to us of
this belief was that my uncle, William H. Sabine,
had undoubtedly read the manuscript while it was
in his house, and his faith that its production would
show to the world that the Mormon Bible had been
taken from it, or was the same with slight altera¬
tions. I have frequently answered questions that
have been asked by different persons regarding the
Manuscript Found, but until now have never made
a statement at length for publication.

“ (Signed),

“ M. S. McKinstry.

“ Sworn and subscribed to before me this 3d
day of April, a.d. 1880, at the city of Washing¬
ton, D. C.

“ Charles Walter,

“ Notary Public. ”

This statement by Mrs. McKinstry was com¬
municated to the Salt Lake Deseret News, in De-

SPALDING FAMIL Y ST A TEMENTS. 427

cember, 1880, in a letter of which the following is
a copy :

“ St. George, Utah,

“ December 28, 1880.

“ Editor Deseret News:

“ We enclose affidavit of Mrs. McKinstry, from
Scribner's August number, bringing to light an im¬
portant fact in regard to the relation of Solomon
Spaulding’s Manuscript Found and the Book of
Mormon. At an early day it was asserted by the
enemies of the Church, that the Book of Mormon
was copied from, or founded on, the manuscript of
Spaulding, and year after year new recruits have
appeared and made unproved assertions to this same
statement, and here is the last, with an appearance
of being substantiated — but really acting just the
reverse of what was intended.

“It would be ridiculous to suppose that man,
woman or child, could thoughtlessly listen to the
reading of a book or manuscript in 1812 and then
in 1834 or 1880, be able to say with the least pros¬
pect of fact, on reading the Book of Mormon, that
names and incidents were the same. But the facts
are clear and startling, that in 1834 Dr. Hurlburt
did write a book claiming to expose Mormonism —
that he went east to obtain the Manuscript Found
— that he absolutely obtained the work — that
when he returned he declared he could not find it
— and that his book was published without a sen¬
tence copied from Manuscript Found.

“ These facts, when coupled, should prove to
any reasonable mind that the publishers of the first
book exposing Mormonism well knew that their
pretenses were false, and that Manuscript Found
would never do as a foundation even for the Book
of Mormon, and so fearing their falsehood might
be brought to light, probably destroyed it. Dr.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Hurlburt’s book is still extant in many libraries, and
doubtless a copy may be found in Salt Lake City.
In a.d. 1834, 1 was 17 years old, and well remem¬
ber Dr. Hurlburt from the time he first came to
Kirtland and was fully acquainted with him till after
his book was published.

“In the year a.d. 1833, then living in Kirtland,
Ohio, I became acquainted with a man subsequently
known as Dr. Hurlburt, who came to investigate the
truth of Mormonism. Claiming to be satisfied, he
was baptized and became a member in full fellowship.
He was a man of fine physique, very pompous, good
looking and very ambitious, with some energy,
though of poor education. Soon after his arrival
he came to my mother’s house to board, where he
remained for neaily a year, while he made an effort
to get into a good practice of medicine, sought
position in the Church, and was ever stirring to
make marital connection with any of the ‘ first fam¬
ilies.’

“Finally in 1834 he was charged with illicit
intercourse with the sex, was tried and cut off from
the Church. He denied, expostulated, threatened,
but to no use, the facts were too apparent, and he
at once vowed himself the enemy of the Church —
threatened to write a book that would annihilate
Mormonism, and went to Painesville, ten miles, and
allied himself to a publisher there who agreed to print
his book if he would furnish the matter. A fund
was raised by the ‘ Anti-Mormons ’ in the village
around, and enough means raised to send Hurlburt
east to hunt up and obtain the writings of Solomon
Spaulding, called Manuscript Found , which had al¬
ready become famous as the alleged matter from
which the Book of Mormon was written.

“ Hurlburt went east and was absent some two or
three months — and on his return publicly declared
that he could not obtain it, but instead brought sev*.

SPALDING FAMILY STATEMENTS. 429

eral affidavits from persons who claimed to have heard
Solomon Spaulding read his Manuscript Found
in 1812, and believed as well as they could remem¬
ber that the matter and story was the same as printed
in the Book of Mormon. And these were pub¬
lished in his book of Mormonism Exposed , in that
or the subsequent year, but not a sentence from
the Manuscript Found, which it appears by the
above that he did really obtain , but finding no sim¬
ilarity between the two, suppressed the Spaulding
manuscript, while he publicly announced in his
book that he had entirely failed to obtain it. Hurl-
burt proved himself to be a man of gross immorality,
untruthful and unreliable.

“According to the sworn statement of M. S.
McKinstry,Dr. Hurlburt did obtain the Manuscript
Found, and the only conclusion that can be rea¬
sonable is, that finding it would spoil his case and
ruin his purposes, that manuscript was destroyed
or suppressed, and may never come to the light,
as it seems he still refuses to return it to the owners,
no doubt fearing it would bring to light his false¬
hood and villainy.

“ J. E. Johnson.”

And to Mr. Johnson’s communication the Salt
Lake editor adds the following comment :

“The affidavit of Mrs. McKinstry is valuable
because it establishes several points. First, that
Spaulding’s manuscript was but a small affair com¬
pared with the book that is said to have been writ¬
ten from it — it was but an inch thick of written,
not printed, matter. Second, that it was only out
of the author’s hands a short time, and that as far
back as 1812. Third, that afterwards it was in
Mrs. Spaulding’s possession until Hurlburt obtained
it, and therefore could not have been used by Jo¬
seph Smith. Fourth, that Hurlburt never produced

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

it, which he would have done if there had been
any similai-ity between it and the Booh of Mor¬
mon. Fifth, that the supposed identity of a few
names in the two works depends on the memory
of an old lady of 74, of what took place when she
was six years old.

“Against a mere supposition, unsupported by
the slightest evidence, of some mysterious connec¬
tion between this manuscript and Joseph Smith —
who never saw Spaulding or his people — is the tes¬
timony of thousands to whom God has given a
witness of the truth of the Booh of Mormon, as
well as the testimony of the eleven who saw and
handled the plates and of the three who were
shown them by Divine Power and angelic hands,
and to whom the voice of God bore record. Need
anything more be said on the subject? ”

It will be observed that there is a disagreement
between the statements made by the Spaldings,
and those made by Howe and Hurlbut. We are
inclined to the opinion that the former were mis¬
taken, and that the facts, as related by the latter,
are substantially correct. Eecent developments
go to show this. Though whether Hurlbut did or
did not obtain the Manuscript Found, and bring it to
Ohio, has but little bearing on the main question — -
which the next chapter will show.

THE SPALDING WITNESSES.

431

CHAPTER XLIIL

THE SPALDING WITNESSES.

Statement of John Spalding — Of Martha Spalding — Of
Henry Lake — John JT. Miller — Aaron Wright — Olive
Smith — Nahum Howard — Artemus Cunningham.

Howe’s book, Mormonism Unveiled , is the work
i*eferred to by Johnson. Hurlbut had, in addition
to his labor of procuring Spalding’s manuscript,
also gone among his old friends and neighbors
about Conneaut, and procured a number of testi¬
monials from them. These were published in
Howe’s book. As they relate to the main features
of the controversy, and as that valuable work is
long since out of print, there can be no apology
needed for their introduction here. It will be
remembered that they were obtained in 1833, about
• seventeen years after Solomon Spalding’s death,
three years only after the publication of the Bool
of Mormon, and about twenty years after Manu¬
script Found had been written.

John Spalding,

The brother of Solomon Spalding, says, after detail¬
ing incidents of his brother’s youth, etc. :

“ • • • In a few years he failed in business,
and in the year 1809 removed to Conneaut, in

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Ohio. The year following I removed to Ohio, and
found him engaged in building a forge. I made
him a visit in about three years after ; and found
that he had failed, and was considerably involved
in debt. He then told me he had been writing a
book, which he intended to have printed, the avails
of which he thought would enable him to pay all
his debts. The book was entitled the Manuscript
Found , of which he read to me many passages.
It was an historical romance of the first settlers of
America, endeavoring to show that the American
Indians are the descendants of the Jews, or lost
tribes. It gave a detailed account of their journey
from Jerusalem, by land and sea, till they arrived
in America, under the command of Nephi and
Lehi. They afterwards had quarrels and conten¬
tions, and separated into two distinct nations, one
of which he denominated Nephites and the other
Lamanites. Cruel and bloody wars ensued, in
which great multitudes were slain. They buried
their dead in large heaps, which caused the mounds
so common in this country. Their arts, sciences
and civilization were brought into view, in order to
account for all the curious antiquities, found in
various parts of North and South America. I have
recently read the Book of Mormon , and to my
great surprise I find nearly the same historical mat¬
ter, names, etc., as they were in my brother’s
writings. I well remember that he wrote in the
old style, and commenced about every sentence
with ‘ and it came to pass,’ or ‘ now it came to
pass,’ the same as in the Book of Mormon ; and
according to my best recollection and belief, it is
the same as my brother Solomon wrote, with the
exception of the religious matter. By what means
it has fallen into the hands of Joseph Smith, Jr., I
am unable to determine.

“ John Spalding,1

THE SPALDING WITNESSES.

433

Martha Spalding,

The wife of John Spalding, says :

“ I was personally acquainted with Solomon
Spalding about twenty years ago. I was at his
house a short time before he left Conneaut ; he
was then writing a historical novel founded upon
the first settlers of America. He represented them
as an enlightened and war-like people. He had for
many years contended that the aborigines of Amer¬
ica were the descendants of some of the lost tribes
of Israel, and this idea he carried out in the book
in question. The lapse of time which has inter¬
vened, prevents my recollecting but few of the
leading incidents of his writings ; but the names of
Nephi and Lehi are yet fresh in my memory, as being
the principal heroes of his tale. They were officers
of the company which first came off from Jerusalem.
He gave a particular account of their journey by
land and sea, till they arrived in America, after
which disputes arose between the chiefs, which
caused them to separate into different bands, one of
which was called Lamanites and the other Nephites.
Between these were recorded tremendous battles,
which frequently covered the ground with the slain ;
and their being buried in large heaps was the cause
of the numerous mounds in the country. Some of
these people he represented as being very large. I
hifre read the Book of Mormon, which has
brought fresh to my recollection the writings of
Solomon Spalding ; and I have no manner of doubt,
that the historical part of it is the same that I read
and heard, more than twenty years ago. The old,
obsolete style, and the phrases of 4 and it came to
pass,’ etc., are the same.

Martha Spalding.’

434 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Henry Lake’s Statement.

“ Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., 0.,

‘ ‘ September, 1 833 .

“ I left the State of New York late in the year
1810, and arrived at this place about the first of
January following. Soon after my arrival I formed
a copartnership with Solomon Spalding, for the
purpose of rebuilding a forge which he had com¬
menced a year or two before. He vei*y frequently
read to me from a manuscript which he was writing,
which he entitled the Manuscript Found, and which
he represented as being found in this town. I
spent many hours in hearing him read said writings,
and became well acquainted with its contents. He
wished me to assist him in getting his production
printed, alleging that a book of that kind would
meet with a rapid sale. I designed doing so, but
the forge not meeting our anticipations, we failed
in business, when I declined having any thing to
do with the publication of the book. This book
represented the American Indians as the descend¬
ants of the lost tribes, gave an account of their
leaving Jerusalem, their contentions and wars,
which were many and great. One time, when he
was reading to me the tragic account of Laban, I
pointed out to him what I considered an inconsist¬
ency, which he promised to correct ; but by referring
to the Book of Mormon , I find to my surprise that
it stands there jusf as he read it to me then. Some
months ago I borrowed the Golden Bible, put it into
my pocket, carried it home, and thought no more of
it. About a week after, my wife found the book in
my coat pocket as it hung up, and commenced read¬
ing it aloud as I lay upon the bed. She had not
read twenty minutes till I was astonished to find
the same passages in it that Spalding had read to
me more than twenty years before, from his Man-

THE SEAL DING WITNESSES.

435

uscriptFound. Since that I have more fully ex¬
amined the said Golden Bible, and have no hesita¬
tion in saying that the historical part of it is prin¬
cipally, if not wholly, taken from the Manuscript
Found. I well recollect telling Mr. Spaulding,
that the so frequent use of the words ‘ And it came
to pass,’ ‘ Now it came to pass,’ etc., rendered it
ridiculous. Spalding left here in 1812, and I fur¬
nished him the means to carry him to Pittsburgh,
where he said he would get the book printed,
and pay me. But I never heard any more from
him or his writings, till I saw them in the Book
of Mormon.

“ Henry Lake.”

John N. Miller.

Springfield, Pa., September, 1833.

“In the year 1811 1 was in the employ of Henry
Lake and Solomon Spalding at Conneaut, engaged
in rebuilding a forge. While there I boarded and
lodged in the family of said Spalding, for several
months. I was soon introduced to the manuscripts of
Spalding, and perused them as often as I had leisure.
He had written two or three books or pamphlets on
different subjects ; but that which more particularly
drew my attention, was one which he called the Man¬
uscript Found. From this he would frequently read
some humorous passage to the company present. It
purported to be the history of the first settlement
of America before discovered by Columbus. He
brought them off from Jerusalem under their lead¬
ers ; detailing their travels by land and water, their
manners, customs, laws, wars, etc. He said that
he designed it as a historical novel, and that in after
years it would be believed by many people as much
as the history of England. He soon after failed
in business, and told me he should retire from the

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

din of his creditors, finish his book, and have it
published, which would enable him to pay his debts
and support his family. He soon after removed to
Pittsburgh, as I understood.

I have recently examined the Book of Mormon ,
and find in it the writings of Solomon Spalding,
from beginning to end, but mixed up with Script¬
ure and other religious matter, which I did not
meet with in the Manuscript Found. Many of the
passages in the Mormon book are verbatim from
Spalding, and others in part. The names of Nephi,
Lehi, Moroni, and, in fact, all the principal names,
are brought fresh to my recollection by the Gold
Bible. When Spalding divested his history of its
fabulous names, by a verbal explanation, he landed
his people near the straits of Darien, which I am
very confident he called ZaraJiemla, ; they were
marched about that country for a length of time,
in which wars and great bloodshed ensued, — he
brought them across North America in a north-east
direction.

“John N. Miller.”

Aaron Wright’s Statement.

Conneaut, August, 1833.

‘ ‘ I first became acquainted with Solomon Spalding
in 1808 or ’9, when he commenced building a forge
on Conneaut Creek. When at his house one day,
he showed and read to me a history he was writing,
of the lost tribes of Israel, purporting that they
were the first settlers of America, and that the
Indians were their descendants. Upon this subject
we had frequent conversations. He traced their
journey from Jerusalem to America, as it is given
in the Book of Mormon, excepting the religious
matter. The historical part of the Book of Mor¬
mon I know to be the same as I read and heard

THE SPALDING WITNESSES. 4371

read from the writings of Spalding, more than
twenty years ago ; the names more especially are
the same without any alteration. He told me his
object was to account for all the fortifications, etc. ,
to be found in this country, and said that in time
it would be- fully believed by all, except learned
men and historians. I once anticipated reading his
writings in print, but little expected to see them in
a new Bible. Spalding had many other manuscripts,
which I expect to see when Smith translates his
other plates. In conclusion, I will observe, that
the names of, and most of the historical part of the
Book of Mormon, were as familiar to me before
I read it, as most modern history. If it is not
Spalding’s writing, it is the same as he wrote ; and
if Smith was inspired, I think it was by the same
spirit that Spalding was, which he confessed to be
the love of money.

“Aaron Wright.”

Oliver Smith.

Conneaut, August, 1833.

“ When Solomon Spalding first came to this
place, he purchased a tract of land, surveyed it out,
and commenced selling it. While engaged in this
business, he boarded at my house, in all nearly six
months. All his leisure hours were occupied in
writing a historical novel, founded upon the first
settlers of this country. He said he intended to
trace their journey from Jerusalem, by land and
sea, till their arrival in America, give an account
of their arts, sciences, civilization, wars and con¬
tentions. In this way, he would give a satisfac¬
tory account of all the old mounds, so common in
this country. During the time he was at my house,
I read and heard read one hundred pages or more.
Nephi and Lehi were by him represented as lead-

438 THE PROPHET 6f PALMYRA.

ing characters, when they first started for America.
Their main object was to escape the judgments
which they supposed were coming upon the old
world. _ But no religious matter was introduced, as
I now recollect. Just before he left this place,
Spalding sent for me to call on him, which I did.
He then said, that although he was in my debt, he
intended to leave the country, and he hoped I
would not prevent him ; for, says he, you know I
have been writing the history of the first settlement
of America, and I intend to go to Pittsburgh, and
there live a retired life, till I have completed the
work, and when it is printed, it will bring me a
fine sum of money, which will enable me to return
and pay off all my debts — the book, you know, will
sell, as every one is anxious to learn something
upon that subject. This was the last I heard from
Spalding or his book, until the Book of Mormon
came into the neighborhood. When I heard the
historical part of it related, I at once said it was
the writings of old Solomon Spalding. Soon after,
I obtained the book, and on reading it, found much
of it the same as Spalding had written, more than
twenty years before.

“Oliver Smith.”

Nahum Howard.

Conneaut, August, 1833.

“ I first became acquainted with Solomon Spald¬
ing in December, 1810. After that time I fre¬
quently saw him at his house, and also at my house.
I once in conversation with him expressed a sur¬
prise at not having any account of the inhabitants
once in this country, who erected the old forts,
mounds, etc. He then told me that he was writing a
history of that race of people ; and afterwards
frequently showed me his writings, which I

TIIE SPALDING WITNESSES.

read. I have lately read the Book of Mormon,
and believe it to he the same as Spalding wrote,
except the religious part. He told me that he
intended to get his writings published in Pitts¬
burgh, and he thought in one century from that
time, it would be believed as much as any other
history.”

“ Nahum Howard.”

Artemus Cunningham,

Of Perry, Geauga County, also made a statement,
as follows :

“In the month of October, 1811, I went from
the township of Madison to Conneaut, for the pur¬
pose of securing a debt due me from Solomon
Spalding. I tarried with him nearly two days, for
the purpose of accomplishing my object, which I
was finally unable to do. I found him destitute of
the means of paying his debts. His only hope
of ever paying his debts, appeared to be upon
the sale of a book, which he had been writing. He
endeavored to convince me from the nature and
character of the work, that it would meet with a
ready sale. Before showing me his manuscripts,
he went into a verbal relation of its outlines, saying
that it was a fabulous or romantic history of the
first settlement of this country, and as it purported
to have been a record found buried in the earth, or
in a cave, he had adopted the ancient or Scripture
style of writing. He then presented his manu¬
scripts, when we sat down and spent a good share
of the night in reading them, and conversing upon
them. I well remember the name of Nephi, which
appeared to be the principal hero of the story. The
frequent repetition of the phrase ‘ I, Nephi,’ I reool-
lect as distinctly as though it was but yesterday,
although the general features of the story have

440

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

passed from my memory, through the lapse of
twenty-two years. He attempted to account for
the numerous antiquities which are found upon
this continent, and remarked that after this gen¬
eration had passed away, his account of the first
inhabitants of America would be considered as
authentic as any other history. The Mormon Bible
I have partially examined, and am fully of the
opinion that Solomon Spalding had written its out¬
lines before he left Conneaut.”

LATEN TESTIMONY. 441

CHAPTER XLIV.

LATER TESTIMONY.

Joseph Miller’s Letter — Abner Jackson’s Narrative —
“Mere Suppositions” vs. “God-Given Testimony” —
The Book’s Proper Title — Mr. Patterson — Key. Win¬
ter — Rigdon’s Hand Manifest.

The Cincinnati Gazette recently contained a let¬
ter from Mr. M. A. Cooper, of Steubenville, Ohio,
under date of December 9, 1881, which that journal
prints under the heading of, “ The Book of Mor¬
mon — One Man in the United States Who Can
Give its Origin 1 ” This letter refers to Mr. Joseph
Miller, of Pennsylvania, as this “ one man,” and
gives report of an interview with him.

Deeming Mr. Miller’s statement concerning Mr.
Spalding and his romance to be important, the
writer dispatched to him a note of inquiry, and
promptly received the following in reply :

Ten Mile, Washington Co., Pa.,

Jan. 20, 1882.

“ Dear Sir : In answer to youi's, I would state
that I was familiar with Solomon Spalding. I
worked in Amity, where he lived, and as the fashion
was at that day, we all assembled at his house in
the evenings (as he kept tavern), and he frequently
would read from his manuscript. The work was

442

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYRA.

very odd. The words ‘ Moreover,’ ‘ And it came
to pass,’ occurred so often that the hoys about the
village called him ‘ Old Came to Pass.’ He told
me he lived in Ohio when he wrote his manuscript.
He said he lost his health, and he commenced writ¬
ing a history of the mounds near where he lived,
or of the people who built them. He afterwards
removed to Pittsburgh, and kept a little store to
support his family, and while there he took his
manuscript to Mr. Patterson, then engaged in a
publishing house. Mr. Patterson told him if he
would write a title page he would publish it. He
left the copy and moved to Amity. He afterwards
went back to have his MS. published, but it could
not be found. He said there was a man named
Sidney Rigdon about the office, and they thought
he had stolen it. The passage you refer to, on
page 148, as Cooper has it, is in reference to being
marked with red in their foreheads.

“ ‘ Nephites,’ I recollect distinctly, as occuring
very often ; as to ‘ Lamanites ’ it is not so distinct, —
and a great many other names that were very odd.

“ The MS. that I saw, would not, I think, make
as large a book as the Book of Mormon.

“ Spalding was a very poor man ; during his stay
at Amity, I was very familiar with him, bailed him
for money at least twice ; and by request of Spald¬
ing, assisted his wife some in settling up his little
business — made his coffin and helped lay him in his
grave.

“ Joseph Miller.”

Mr. Miller’s statement is mainly corroborated by
the following paper, communicated to the Wash¬
ington County (Pa.) Historical Society, by Mr.
Abner Jackson, of Canton, Ohio— forwarded to us
under, date of March 27, 1882, in the Washington

LATER TESTIMONY.

443

Reporter, by Rev. L. Axtell, of Pike Run, in that
county. This venerable writer’s contribution gives
particulars of the life of Spalding not to be found
elsewhere, and confirms most of the material points
mentioned by others. Evidently written with care,
and with a view to the truth of history, we deem it .
worthy of a place entire in these pages :

“ Canton, Ohio, Dec. 20, 1880.

“ Mr. John Aiken, Esq. :

“ I here send you the document you solicited so
long ago. You see, though a long time coming,
that it is poorly written ; but I am too old to do it
very well. I hope you will be able to read it.
You probably have seen Mrs. McKinstry’s state¬
ment in Scribner's Monthly (already published in
the Washington Reporter. — Eds.) for August, 1880.

I wish to say that I have not seen her or had any
intelligence from her, since they left Conneaut. If
any should think we have conferred in any way to
make out a case of plagiarism against Joseph Smith,
let them know that so far as we are concerned, we
are now perfect strangers. I did not know that she
was living until I heard, as stated in the accompany¬
ing paper. If so many errors had not been pub¬
lished there would be no necessity for this state¬
ment. When contradicting statements are published,
people often say, one is wrong, maybe neither is -
right, and so ignore both. Mrs. McKinstry says
that her father’s iron works was a foundry. This
was the little girl’s view of it. It was a forge of
the old type. Iron was made from ore under a
"trip hammer, as there were no rollers in this coun¬
try at that time. But this is not essential, and has
nothing to do with Mormonism.

“ If my statement is not published, please return

444

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

it to me as soon as convenient. Please inform me
if you receive this. I am not anxious for myself at
all, but if it can do anything for those entangled by
the delusion, it cannot be published too quickly.
I hope your Historical Society may prosper and do
much good.

“ Yours truly,

“Abner Jackson.”

Abner Jackson’s Statement.

“ It is a fact well established that the book called the
Book of Mormon, had its origin from a romance that
was written by Solomon Spaulding, in Conneaut,
a small village in Ashtabula County, Ohio, about
a.d. 1812. Spaulding was a highly educated man
about six feet high, of rather slender build, with a
dark complexion, black eyes, black hair, rather slaw
of speech, never trifling, pleasant in conversation,
but seldom laughing aloud. His deportment was
grave and dignified in society, and he was much
Tespected by those of his acquaintance. He was a
clergyman of the Presbyterian order, and for a time
a settled pastor in the city of New York. So said
his brother John Spaulding and others in the neigh¬
borhood, who heard him preach. It was said that
failing health caused him to resign the pastoi*ate.
He then came to Richfield, Otsego County, New
York, and started a store, near where my father
lived, about the beginning of the present century.

“ Spaulding contracted for large tracts of land
along the shore of Lake Erie, on each side of the
State line, in both Pennsylvania and Ohio. My
father exchanged with him, the farm on which he
lived in Otsego County, New York, for land in
Erie County, Pa., where the town of Albion now
stands, and moved on it a.d., 1805. It was then
a dense forest. Shortly after my father moved,
Spaulding sold his store in Richfield, and moved to

LATER TESTIMONY.

445

Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio, and built a
forge on Conneaut Creek, two miles from Conneaut
Harbor, and two miles from the State line. In
building this he failed, sold out, and about the
beginning of the year 1812, commenced to write
his famous romance called by him the Manuscript
Found.

“This romance, Mr. Spaulding brought with him
on a visit to my father, a short time before he
moved from Conneaut to Pittsburgh. At that
time I was confined to the house with a lame
knee, and so I was in company with them and
heard the conversation that passed between them.
Spaulding read much of his manuscript to my father,
and in conversation with him, explained his views
of the old fortifications in this country, and told his
romance. A note in Morse’s Geography suggested
it as a possibility that our Indians were descendants
of the lost tribes of Israel. Said Morse, they
might have wandered through Asia up to Behring’s
Strait, and across the Strait to this continent. Be¬
sides there were habits and ceremonies among them
that resembled some habits and ceremonies among
the Israelites of that day. Then the old fortifica¬
tions and earth mounds, containing so many kinds
of relics and human bones, and some of them so
large, altogether convinced him that they were a
larger race and more enlightened and civilized than
are found among the Indians among us at this day.
These facts and reflections prompted him to write
his Romance, purporting to be a history of the lost
tribes of Israel.

“ He begins with their departure from Palestine,
or Judea, then up through Asia, points out their
exposures, hardships, and sufferings, also their dis¬
putes and quarrels, especially when they built their
craft for passing over the Straits. Then after their
landing he gave an account of their divisions and

446

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

subdivisions under different leaders, but two par¬
ties controlled the balance. One of them was called
the Righteous, worshipers and servants of God.
These organized with prophets, priests, and teachers,
for the education of their children, and settled down
to cultivate the soil, and to a life of civilization. The
others were Idolaters. They contended for a life
of idleness ; in short, a wild, wicked, savage life.

“ They soon quarrelled, and then commenced
war anew, and continued to fight, except at very
short intervals. Sometimes one party was success¬
ful and sometimes the other, until finally a terrible
battle was fought, which was conclusive. All the
righteous were slain, except one, and he was Chief
Prophet and Recorder. He was notified of the de¬
feat in time by Divine authority ; told where, when,
and how to conceal the record, and He would take
care that it should be preserved, and brought to
light again at the proper time, for the benefit of
mankind. So the Recorder professed to do, and
then submitted to his fate. I do not remember
what that fate was. He was left alone of his party.
I do not remember that anything more was said of
him.

‘ « Spaulding’s romance professed to find the Record
where the Recorder concealed it, in one of those
mounds , one of which was but a few rods from Spauld¬
ing’s residence. Soon after this visit, Spaulding
moved to Pittsburgh, and took his manuscript to
the Pittsburgh Gazette office, intending to have it
printed, but in this he failed. My brother, J. J.
Jackson, was a recruiting officer in the U.'S. Army,
and stationed at Pittsburgh at that time. Being
well acquainted with Spaulding and his lady he soon
found them, and in his letters home would inform
us how they were getting along. The last account
he gave us of them was that he was selling pictures
and she was sewing up clothing for the soldiers.

LATER TESTIMONY.

447

The next we heard of them was by report. Spauld¬
ing moved to Amity, Washington county, Pa., and
soon after died and was buried there. His wife and
daughter weut to her brother, Lawyer Sabine,
Onondaga Valley, Onondaga Co., N. Y. When I
was returning from Clarksburg, W.Va., to my home
in New Brighton, Beaver Co., Pa., a. d., i840, I
passed through Amity, hunted the grave of Spauld¬
ing and copied from the headstone the following
inscription:*

‘ In Memory of

Solomon Spaulding, who departed this life Oct. 20th,
A. d., 1816. Aged 55 years.

‘ Kind cherubs guard the sleeping clay,

Until the great decision day,

And saints complete in glory rise,

To share the triumph of the skies.’

“ Spaulding frequently read his manuscript to the
neighbors and amused them as he progressed with
his work. He wrote it in Bible style. ‘ And it
came to pass’ occurred so often that some called
him 4 old come to pass.’

“ So much for Spaulding’s romance ; now for the
Book of Mormon.

“The first account of the Book of Mormon that
I saw, was a notice in my father’s newspaper,
stating that Joseph Smith, Jr., professed having
dreamed that an angel had appeared to him and told
him to go and search in a place he named in Pal-

* The headstone which marked Mr. Spalding's grave, and
which bore the above inscription, has almost if not altogether
disappeared, through the ravages of time and relic hunters. It
is due to the memory of Mr. Spalding, who was the innocent
cause of the stupendous fraud of Mormonism, and also to the
truth of history, that this tomb-stone be replaced by a suitable
and substantial monument bearing the original inscription, to¬
gether with such other legends as may perpetuate the memory
of the origin of the greatest imposture of the century. The
Christian Church owes it to its own vindication, that such a
monument be erected. The Historical Society should also
assist in perpetuating a local incident.

448

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

myra, N. Y., and he would find a gold-leaf Bible.
Smith was incredulous and did not go until the
second or third time he dreamed the same dream.
Then he said he went, and, to his surprise, he found
the golden Bible, according to his dreams. But it
was written in a language so ancient that none could
be found able either to read it or tell in what lan¬
guage it was written. Some time after another
statement appeared, that an angel had consented to
read and interpret it to Joseph Smith, and he should
report it to a third person, who should write it in
plain English, so that all might read the new Bible
and understand its import. Some time after, in
1830, the book was published at Palmyra, N. Y.,
called a New Revelation; the Booh of Mormon.
This purports to be a history of the lost tribes of
the Children of Israel. It begins with them just
where the romance did, and it follows the romance
very closely. It is true there are some verbal alter¬
ations and additions, enlarging the production some¬
what, without changing its main features. The Book
of Mormon follows the romance too closely to
be a stranger. In both, many persons appear hav¬
ing the same name ; as Maroni, Mormon, Nephites,
Moroni, Lama, Lamanite, Nephe, and others.

“Here then we are presented with Eomance,
second, called the Book of Mormon , telling the same
story of the same people, traveling from the same
plain, in the same way, having the same difficulties
and destination, with the same wars, same battles,
and same results, with thousands upon thousands
slain. Then see the Mormon account of the last
battle, at Cumorah, where all the righteous were
slain. They were called the Nephites, the others
were called Lamanites (see Moroni’s account of the
closing scene) ‘ and now it came to pass that a great
battle was fought at Cumorah. The Lamanites
slew all the Nephites’ (except Moroni), and he said

LATER TESTIMONY.

449

‘ I will write up and hide the Recorder in the earth,
and whither Igo it mattereth not.' — Book of Mormon ,
page 344, third American edition. How much this
resembles the closing scene in the Manuscript Found.
The most singular part of the whole matter is, that
it follows the romance so closely, with this differ¬
ence : the first claims to be a romance ; the second
claims to be a revelation of God, a new Bible !
"When it was brought to Conneaut and read there
in public, old Esq. Wright heard it, and exclaimed,
‘ ‘ ‘ Old come to pass ” has come to life again.’ Here
was the place where Spalding wrote and read his
manuscript to the neighbors for their amusement
and ’Squire Wright had often heard him read from
his Romance. This was in 1832, sixteen years after
Spalding’s death. This ’Squire Wright lived on a
farm just outside of the little village. I was ac¬
quainted with him for twenty -five years. I lived
on his farm when I was a boy and attended school
in the village. I am particular to notice these things
to show that I had an opportunity of knowing
what I am writing about.

“ After I commenced writing this ailicle, I heard
that an article in Scribner's Monthly , for August,
1880, on the Book of Mormon , contained a note and
affidavit of Mrs. Matilda S. McKinstry, Solomon
Spaulding’s only child, stating that she remembered
her father’s romance. I sent at once for the
Monthly , and on the 613, 614, 615 and 616 pages,
found the article and her testimony. Her statement
from the commencement, until they moved to Pitts¬
burgh, in all essential particulars I know to be true.
She relates those acts as they occurred to my own
personal knowledge, though she was then a little
girl. She is now about seventy-five years of age.

“ I stated before that I knew nothing of Spauld¬
ing after he moved to Pittsburgh, except by letters
and newspapers. He soon moved to Amity, Wash-

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA. 450

ington County, Pa., and shortly after this he died
and his wife went to her brother’s. His daughter’s
account of the deceitful method by which Hurlburt
gained possession of and retained Spaulding’s man¬
uscript, is, I think, important and should not be
lost sight of. She was no child then. I think she
has done her part well in the vindication of the truth
by her unvarnished statement of what she remem¬
bered of her father’s romance. I have not seen
her since she was a little girl, but I have seen both
of these productions, heard Spaulding read much of
his romance to my father and explain his views and
reasons for writing it. I also have seen and read
the Book of Mormon, and it follows Spaulding’s ro¬
mance too closely toe be anything else than a bor¬
rowed production from the romance. I think that
Mrs. McKinstry’s statement fills a gap in my ac¬
count from Spalding’s removal to Pittsburgh, to the
death of his wife in 1844. I wish, if my statement
is published that hers also be published with it,
that the truth may be vindicated by the truth be¬
yond any reasonable doubt.

“(Signed)

“Abner Jackson.

“ Canton, Ohio, Dec. 20, 1880.”

The foregoing array of evidence in support of
the theory that the Book of Mormon was based on
^Spalding’s romance, is about all that we care to
introduce, though more is at hand. And this is
what the Salt Lake editor calls a ‘ ‘ mere supposi¬
tion” of some “mysterious connection between the
manuscript and Joseph Smith.” That there was a
mysterious connection is not doubted ; indeed, it is
directly and very pointedly affirmed by these people.

LATER TESTIMONY.

451

What that connection was may yet be shown.
These people do not bolster up their story by an
array of “angels” and “heavenly messengers,”
but by plain, honest, common-sense averment ; and
hence will not be so readily believed by some ; but
their stoiy will carry conviction to every well-
balanced human intellect.

But the Salt Lake editor farther assures us that
there is an additional ‘ 4 God-given testimony ” of
thousands in support of Smith’s claim ; which testi¬
mony, when interpreted, means simply the mental
ability to believe Smith’s absurd and impossible
story. Just such “God-given testimony” has been
marshalled in support of every silly and ridiculous
delusion since the world began.

Header, let us bring together the points of the
foregoing narrations, and examine their bearing.
That Rev. Solomon Spalding did reside at Conneaut,
Ohio, between the years 1808 and 1814, is made as
clear as human testimony can make it. That while
there he wrote several manuscript books, is also
fully established. That he died in Pennsylvania in
1816, leaving these manuscripts behind him, cannot
be disputed. That one of these manuscripts was en¬
titled Manuscript Found, while the titles of the
others were not known, is also clearly established.
The Mormons themselves do not deny it. No
writer anywhere, or of any class, that we are aware

452

T1IE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of, has ever denied any of these propositions. The
facts are palpable and would not be more clearly
evident, were the manuscripts themselves brought
to light. If, then, Mr. Spalding wrote a work so
entitled, it must have been about something — it
must have had some specific characteristics. What
were they? All his friends and neighbors agree
that he had a lively imagination ; that he was much
interested in the discoveries that had been made
near his residence, indicating the existence of a
pre-historic race of people in America ; that he
thought, talked, and wrote much upon that theme,
and read portions of his writings to his neighbors
and friends.

And now — no, not now — but more than fifty
years ago, and only seventeen years after his death
— come a number of these neighbors and friends, and
say that this book — this Manuscript Found, the ex¬
istence of which no one has ever denied — contained
the names of “ Nephi,” “ Lehi,” “Moroni,”
“Laban,” “ Nephites,” “ Lamanites,” “ Zarahem-
la,” and others ; that its theme was the history of
a supposed race of Jewish emigrants and their de¬
scendants in America ; that it was ridiculously full
of such phrases as “And it came to pass,” “ I,
Nephi,” “ Lo, and behold,” etc. ; that it was writ¬
ten in Biblical style, and that it abounded in de¬
scriptions of great wars and battles between the

LATER TESTIMONY.

contending tribes. These statements are made with
great unanimity, and no apparent attempt at collu¬
sion, by men and women who could have had no
object but truth and justice in view. Reader, take
up the Book of Mormon — ‘ « Wherefore it is an
abridgement of the Record of the People of Nephi,
and also of the Lamanites” — and see if you can find
in it any emanations from Rev. Spalding’s imagin¬
ative mind. See if you can recognize any of the
names these friends of his remember so well — and
which were never before found in any other book.
See if you can recall any of the themes, the his¬
torical allusions, the phrases, they so minutely par¬
ticularize. In the language of the Salt Lake editor,
“What more need be said?” “ Lo, and behold,”
“verily,” its title, instead of the “confusion of
language ” used by Smith, Rigdon, Cowdery & Co.,
should have read :

“THE MANUSCRIPT FOUND,”

A Romance,

Written by Rev. Solomon Spalding, of Conneaut,
Long Since Deceased ;

Ohio,

Stolen, Mutilated, Enlarged,

And Rendered More Riduculous,

In Order to Make it More Likely to be Accepted
by Gulls,
as a

Message From Heaven.

“ And now, if there be fault, it be the mistake of ”
SOME CRANKS.

454

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

It can make little difference, therefore, if it
should be never fully ascertained how, or in what
manner, or by whom, that Manuscript Found came
into those men’s hands. The fact stands out boldly,
clearly, that it was there ; that it was this Spald¬
ing romance, or a fraudulent copy of it, and not
golden plates, from which the embryo prophet was
pretending to translate during the years 1827-8-9.
Whether it came to him through Rigdon’s hands, as
believed by the Spalding family, or through Cow-
dery’s, or Parley P. Pratt’s, is of little consequence,
except as to gratify curiosity, and need not, per¬
haps, be further inquired into. There were five
men who bore conspicuous parts in bringing this
Booh of Mormon, before the public ; any one of
whom may have obtained the manuscript. Its ap¬
plication and working up vTas evidently the labor
of Sidney Rigdon chiefly. Two of these men, Smith
and Harris, may never have been in Northern
Ohio, previous to 1827 ; Cowdery, Pratt, and Rig¬
don had all been there, in the vicinity of where
Spalding had resided.

The Spalding family all believed that Rigdon had
obtained the MS. and copied it, wrhile it remained
in the office of Patterson & Lambdin at Pittsburgh.
Prom Joseph Miller’s latest letter it would seem,
that even in Rev. Spalding’s life-time the impression
prevailed that Rigdon had obtained the manuscript.

LATER TESTIMONY.

455

The Mormons vehemently deny that Rigdon was
ever a printer, t>r about said Patterson’s office.

Robert Patterson, Esq., the capable editor of the
Pittsburgh Presbyterian Banner , and son of the
Rev. Robert Patterson alluded to, has lately given
the subject much attention. In a very lucid and
searching paper from his pen, communicated to the
Washington County Historical Society, we find the
following, bearing on Patterson’s possession of the
manuscript :

“ On being applied to in 1842, by Rev. Samuel
Williams, who was preparing for publication a
pamphlet entitled Mormonism Exposed, Mr. Pat¬
terson wrote the following brief certificate, which
we copy in full from Mr. Williams’ pamphlet :

“‘R. Patterson had in his employment Silas
Engles at the time, a foreman printer, and general
superintendent of the printing business. As he
(S. E.) was an excellent scholar, as well as a good
printer, to him was entrusted the entire concerns of
the office. He even decided on the propriety or
otherwise of publishing manuscripts when offered,
— as to their morality, scholarship, etc. In this char¬
acter he informed R. P. that a gentleman from the
East originally, had put into his hands a manu¬
script of a singular work, chiefly in the style of our
English translation of the Bible, and handed the
copy to R. P., who read only a few pages, and
finding nothing apparently exceptionable, he(R. P.)
said to Engles he might publish it, if the author
furnished the funds or good security. He (the
author) failing to comply with the terms, Mr Engles
returned the manuscript, as I supposed at that time,

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYRA.

after it had beeii some weeks in his possession with
other manuscripts in the office.

‘ ‘ ‘ This communication written and signed 2d
April, 1842.

“ ‘ Robert Patterson.’ ”

From Mr. Patterson’s pamphlet, we also quote
the following :

“Rev. John Winter, M. D., was one of the early
ministers of the Baptist Church, laboring in West¬
ern Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. During a por¬
tion of the time when Sidney Rigdon was pastor of
the First Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Dr. Winter
was teaching a school in the same city, and was well
acquainted with Rigdon. Upon one occasion, dur¬
ing this period, 1822-23, Dr. Winter was in Rig-
don’s study, when the latter took from his desk a
large manuscript, and said in substance, ‘A Pres¬
byterian minister, Spalding, whose health had failed,
brought this to the printer to see if it would pay
to publish it. It is a romance of the Bible.’ Dr.
Winter did not read any part of it, and paid no more
attention to it until after the Book of Mormon ap¬
peared, when he heard that Mr. Spalding’s widow
recognized in it the writings of her husband. . . .
Mrs. Mary W. Irvine, a daughter of Dr. Winter,
writes from Sharon, Pa., April 5, 1881, as follows :

‘ I have frequently heard my father speak of Rig¬
don having Spalding’s MS. and that he had gotten
it from the planters to read as a curiosity ; as such
he showed it to father ; and that at that time Rig¬
don had an intention of making the use of it that
he afterwards did ; for father always said Rigdon
helped Smith in his scheme, by revising and making
the Mormon Bible out of Rev. Spalding’s manu¬
script.’ ”

The foregoing citations would seem conclusive in

LATEB TESTIMONY.

457

fixing the fraud upon Sidney Rigdon ; and notwith¬
standing his and all the other Mormon denials, and
the apparent want of agreement among Spalding’s
Mends, we feel sure that an intelligent and discern¬
ing public, will forever hold it. And here we let
the matter rest.

458

TII& PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

CHAPTER XLV.

AFTER FIFTY YEARS.

A Strange Discovery— A Spalding MS. Found in Hono¬
lulu — A God-Send to the Mormons — A False Impres¬
sion — Not the “ Manuscript Found ” — Oe No Historic
Value— Mr. Patterson’s Closing Tribute.

And now comes one of the most remarkable fea¬
tures of this much discussed and remarkable story.
A short time ago President Fairchild of Oberlin
College, Ohio, was on a visit with friends residing
at Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands. While at the
home of Mr. L. L. Rice, an American citizen there,
he became interested in some documents which had
many years before accumulated in the latter’s pos¬
session, and which had been brought with him from
Ohio, his former residence.

One of those old and long-neglected manuscripts
on examination proved to be one of Rev. Spalding’s
romances — to the great astonishment of both those
gentlemen. The fact was soon made public here
in the States, and was seized upon and heralded to
the world by the newspapers, as a discovery of the
long lost Manuscript Found of Rev. Solomon Spald¬
ing, and the original of the Boole of Mormon. The
manuscript (after discussion as to the proper dis-

AFTElt FIFTY YEARS.

459

position to be made of it) , was deposited by Mr.
Eice in the college library at Oberlin. Various
extracts from its pages, bearing no resemblance to
the matter of the Book of Mormon, have been pub¬
lished ; and the conclusion has been quite general
that the Spalding story was a fallacy. The Mor¬
mons themselves have regarded the discovery as a
God-send, and have lost no time in announcing to
their readers this marvelous refutation of their
enemies’ falsehoods. Both the Salt Lake and the
Reconstructed branches, it is stated, have procured
copies of the work for publication. The former we
have not seen ; but the latter, issued with much
apparent satisfaction, and neatly printed in pamph¬
let form at Lamoni, Iowa, under authority of the
church — now lies before us. It professes to be a
true and exact copy of the original, and certified to
as such ; yet its very first line is a falsehood ! It
entitles the book The Manuscript Found of Solomon
Spalding, when no such title is found anywhere on
or in the work. The nearest approach to it is the
attestation of Dr. Hurlbut on the fly-leaf, as fol¬
lows :

“The writings of Solomon Spalding, as proved
by Henry Lake, John N. Miller, Aaron Wright and
others.

“ D. P. Hublbut.”

Thus showing conclusively that it is the manu-

460

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

uscript obtained by the doctor and brought to Howe
in 1834. Besides, it can be traced directly from
Howe to Rice — the latter haying purchased the
Painesville Telegraph a year or two after Howe’s
book was printed, with the printing office and all
its contents. Howe lost track of the manuscript,
and supposed it might have been destroyed in a fire
in his office, when, in fact, it had been delivered
with other waste matter to his successor, and by
him, very strangely, instead of being destroyed,
carried to Honolulu. That it is the same manu¬
script is also shown by another circumstance. It
will be remembered that Howe, in his book, refers
to a letter obtained with the manuscript indicating
that Spalding had imbibed “infidel” opinions.
Strange enough, that same letter is still with the
MS., as found in Honolulu. Again, the contents
of this newly-found manuscript, as described by
those having access to it, are identical with those
ascribed to it by Howe. So that the evidence is
clear :

“1. That this newly-discovered work is really
one of Spalding’s romances.

“2. That it is the identical one referred to by
Howe in his Mormonism Unveiled, and which he re¬
ceived from Rurlbut, and Hurlbut from the Spald¬
ings, in 1833.

“3. That it is not the romance known as Manu¬
script Found, and bears no resemblance to it.

“ 4. And consequently — that it can bring nc.

AFTER FIFTY YEARS. 461

comfort to the Mormons, in disproof of the“ Spald¬
ing Story.”

Mr. Patterson, in closing his valuable little book
on the subject, thus eloquently refers to Mr. Spald¬
ing and his work :

“It is scarcely necessary to say that Spalding
himself must be acquitted of all intention to deceive,
even though four of the hearers of his romance as
read by him have attested his singular presentiment
— was it prescience? — that in after years his ro¬
mance would be accepted by thousands as veritable
history. But even he could not have foreseen that
this coinage of his brain would ever pass current
as having been enstamped by the authority of
heaven. The unconscious prophet of a new Islam,
in all his imaginings he did not dream that his hand
was outlining the Koran of a dark delusion ; that
the fables which beguiled his restless hours would
be accepted by hundreds of thousands of his fellow-
men as the oracles of God ; and that in inglorious
yet heroic martyrdom some of them would even
seal with their blood their faith in the inspiration
of his phantasies. Journeying to Pittsburgh in
1812, with the sanguine hope of soon seeing his
romance in print, it never entered his mind that in
three-score years and ten thereafter, the shades of
Laman and Nephi, of Mormon and Moroni, evoked
by his magic wand from the sepulchral mounds of
Conneaut, — the graves of a long-forgotten race, —
would be stalking over two hemispheres, and would
be leading through the very city of his sojourn their
myriad victims of deception to distant homes of
wretchedness and shame. Struggling to escape the
burden of his debts, he little imagined how vast the
burden he was about unwittingly to lay upon his
country.

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

“ Sleep on, humble dreamer, in thy lowly bed !
Thy fond desire to win a public hearing for thy
wondrous story was denied thee in thy toilsome
life. Thou knewest not that a strange immortality
awaited it and thee. Rest peacefully, for from thine
eye, which sought to penetrate the past alone, this
saddest of future visions was mercifully withheld.
Surely never hitherto have passed such sorrowful
processions near the grave of so innocent an author
of their woe.”

With this we conclude the review of the sense¬
less gold-laden story. No one really believes it.
Even its originators, its eleven witnesses, and their
immediate followers, had no abiding faith in it, else
Cumorah Hill would ere this have been prospected
from base to crown, in search of those other pre¬
cious relics said to have been hid away by the angel.
Yet its influence has been far-reaching. It has
continued to grow, agitating and disturbing every
community into which it has made its way, until it
now curses half a continent. But it is on the
wane ; and ere the twentieth century ends, the
Story of the Golden Message will have faded from
men’s memories.

NAUVOO CHARTER.

463

CHAPTER XL VI.

NAUVOO CHARTER.

An ActOto Incorporate the City of Nattvoo.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the People of the
State of Illinois, represented in the General Assem¬
bly, That all that district of country embraced within
the following boundaries, to wit : [ long description
of boundaries.']

Sec. 2. Whenever any tract of land adjoining
the city of Nauvoo shall have been laid out into
town lots, and duly recorded according to law, the
same shall form a part of the city of Nauvoo.

Sec. 3. The inhabitants of said city, by the name
and style aforesaid, shall have power to sue and be
sued, plead and be impleaded, defend and be de¬
fended, in all courts of law and equity, and in all
actions whatsoever ; to purchase, receive and hold
property, real and personal, in said city ; to pur¬
chase, receive and hold real property beyond the
city for burying ground, or for other public pur¬
poses. for the use of the inhabitants of said city ;
to sell, lease, convey or dispose of property, real
and personal, for the benefit of the city ; to im¬
prove and protect such property, and to do all
other things in relation thereto as natural persons.

Sec. 4. There shall be a City Council to consist
of Mayor, four Aldermen and nine Councillors, who
shall have the qualifications of electors of said city,
and shall be elected by the qualified voters thereof,
and shall hold their offices for two years, and until
their successors shall be elected and qualified. The

464

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

City Council shall judge of the qualifications, elec¬
tions and returns of their own members, and a
majority of them shall form a quorum to do business ;
but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day,
and compel the attendance of absent members, under
such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance.

Sec. 5. The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
before entering upon the duties of their offices, shall
take and subscribe an oath or affirmation, that they
will support the Constitution of the United States
and of this State ; and that they will well and truly
perform the duties of their offices to the best of
their skill and abilities.

Sec. 6. On the first Monday of February next,
and every two years thereafter, an election
shall be held for the election of one Mayor, four
Aldermen and nine Councillors; and at the first
election under this act, three judges shall be chosen
viva voce by the electors present, the said judges
shall choose two clerks, and the judges and
clerks before entering upon their duties, shall take
and subscribe an oath or affirmation, such as is
now required by law to be taken by judges and
clerks of other elections ; and at all subsequent
elections the necessary number of judges and
clerks shall be appointed by the City Council.
At the first election so held the polls shall be
opened at nine o’clock, A. M., and closed at six
o’clock, p. m. ; at the close of the polls the votes
shall be counted, and a statement thereof proclaimed
at the front door of the house at which such elec¬
tion shall be held ; and the clerks shall leave with
each person elected, or at his usual place of resi¬
dence within five days after the election, a written
notice of his election, and each person so notified,
shall within ten days after the election, take the
oath or affirmation hereinbefore mentioned, a cer¬
tificate of which oath shall be deposited with the

NATJVOO CHARTER.

465

Recorder, whose appointment is hereafter provided
for, and be by him preserved ; and all subsequent
elections shall be held, conducted, and returns
thereof made, as may be provided for by the ordi¬
nances of the City Council.

See. 7. All free white male inhabitants, who are
of the age of twenty-one years, who are entitled to
vote for State officers, and who shall have been
actual residents of said city sixty days next pre¬
ceding said election, shall be entitled to vote for
city offieex-s.

Sec. 8. The City Council shall have authority
to levy and collect taxes for city purposes, upon
all property, real and personal, within the limits of
the city, not exceeding one half per cent, per
annum upon the assessed value thereof, and may
enfoi'ce the payment of the same in any manner
to be provided by ordinance, not repugnant to
the Constitution of the United States, or of this
State.

Sec. 9. The City Council shall have power to
appoint a Recorder, Treasurer, Assessor, Marshal,
Supervisor of Streets, and all such other officers as
may be necessary, and to prescribe their duties, and
remove them from office at pleasure.

Sec. 10. The City Council shall have power to
require of all officers, appointed in pursuance of
this act, bonds with penalty and security, for the
faithful performance of their respective duties, such
as may be deemed expedient ; and also to require
all officers appointed as aforesaid, to take an oath
for the faithful performance of the duties of their
respective offices.

Sec. 11. The City Council shall have power and
authority to make, ordain, establish, and execute
all such ordinances, not repugnant to the Constitu¬
tion of the United States, or of this State, as they
jnay deem necessary for the benefit, peace, good

466

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

order, regulation, convenience and cleanliness of
said city ; for the protection of property therein
from destruction by fire or otherwise, and for the
health and happiness thereof ; they shall have power
to fill all vacancies that may happen by death,
resignation or removal, in any of the offices herein
made elective ; to fix and establish all the fees of
the officers of said corporation not herein established ;
to impose such fines not exceeding one hundred
dollars for each offence, as they may deem just, for
refusing to accept any office in or under the cor¬
poration, or for misconduct therein ; to divide the
city into wards ; to add to the number of Aldermen
and Councillors, and apportion them among the sev¬
eral wards as may be most just and conducive to
the interests of the city.

Sec. 12. To license, tax and regulate auctions,
merchants, retailers, grocers, hawkers, pedlars,
brokers, pawn-brokers and money-changers.

Sec. 13. The City Council shall have exclusive
power within the city, by ordinance to license, reg¬
ulate and restrain the keeping of ferries ; to regu¬
late the police of the city ; to impose fines, forfeit¬
ures and penalties for the breach of any ordinance,
and provide for the recovery of such fines and for¬
feitures, and the enforcement of such penalties, and
to pass such ordinances as may be necessary and
proper for carrying into execution the powers
specified in this act ; Provided, Such ordinances are
not repugnant to the Constitution of the United
States or of this State ; and in fine, to exercise
such other legislative powers as are conferred on
the City Council of the city of Springfield, by an
act entitled “An Act to incorporate the City of
Springfield,” approved February third, one thou¬
sand eight hundred and forty.

Sec. 14. All ordinances passed by the City
Council shall, within one month after they shall

NAUYOO CHA'ETEB.

467

have been passed, be published in some newspaper
printed in the city, or certified copies thereof be
posted up in three of the most public places in the
city.

Sec. 15. All ordinances of the city may be
proven by the seal of the corporation, and when
printed or published in book or pamphlet form, pur¬
porting to be printed or published by authority of
the corporation, the same shall be received in
evidence in all courts or places without further
proof.

Sec. 16. The Mayor and Aldermen shall be
conservators of the peace within the limits of said
city, and shall have all the powers of Justices of
the Peace therein, both in civil and criminal cases,
arising under the laws of the State ; they shall, as
Justices of the Peace, within the limits of said city,
perform the same duties, be governed by the same
laws, give the same bonds and security as other
Justices of the Peace, and be commissioned as
Justices of the Peace in and for said city by the
Governor.

Sec. 17. The Mayor shall have exclusive juris¬
diction in all cases arising under the ordinances of
the corporation, and shall issue such process as may
be necessary to carry said ordinances into execu¬
tion and effect ; appeals may be had from any de¬
cision or judgment of said Mayor, or Aldermen,
arising under the city ordinances, to the Municipal
Court, under such regulations as may be prescribed
by ordinance, which Court shall be composed of
the Mayor, or Chief Justice, and the Aldermen, as
Associate Justices ; and from the final judgment of
the Municipal Court to the Circuit Court of Han¬
cock County, in the same manner as appeals are
taken from the judgments of Justices of the Peace :
Provided , That the parties litigant shall have the
right to a trial by a jury of twelve men in all cases

468

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

before the Municipal Court. The Municipal Court
shall have power to grant writs of habeas corpus
in all cases arising under the ordinances of the City
Council.

Sec. 18. The Municipal Court shall sit on the
first Monday of every month, and the City Council
at such times and places as may be prescribed by
city ordinance, special meetings of which may, at
any time, be called by the Mayor or any two
Aldermen.

Sec. 19. All processes issued by the Mayor,
Aldermen, or Municipal Court, shall be directed to
the Marshal, and in the execution thereof he shall
be governed by the same laws as are or may be pre¬
scribed for the direction and compensation of con¬
stables in similar cases. The Marshal shall also
perform such other duties as may be required of him
under the ordinances of said city, and shall be the
principal ministerial officer.

Sec. 20. It shall be the duty of the Recorder to
make and keep accurate records of all ordinances
made by the City Council, and of all their proceed¬
ings in their corporate capacity ; which records shall
at all times be open to the inspection of the electors
of said city ; and shall perform such other duties as
may be required of him by the ordinances of the
City Council, and shall serve as Clerk of the Mu¬
nicipal Court.

Sec. 21. When it shall be necessary to take
private property for opening, widening, or altering
any public street, lane, avenue or alley, the corpo¬
ration shall make a just compensation therefor, to
the person whose property is so taken, and if the
amount of such compensation cannot be agreed
upon, the Mayor shall cause the same to be ascer¬
tained by a jury of six disinterested freeholders of
the city.

Sec, 22, All jurors impanelled to inquire into

NATJVOO CHARTER.

the amount of benefits or damages that shall happen
to the owners of property so proposed to be taken,
shall first be sworn to that effect, and shall return
to the Mayor their inquest in writing, signed by
each juror.

Sec. 23. In case the Mayor shall at any time be
guilty of a palpable omission of duty, or shall wil¬
fully and corruptly be guilty of oppression, mal-
conduct, or partiality in the discharge of the duties
of his office, he shall be liable to be indicted in the
Circuit Court of Hancock County ; and on convic¬
tion he shall be fined not more than two hundred
dollars, and the Court shall have power on the
recommendation of the jury, to add to the judgment
of the Court, that he be removed from office.

Sec. 24. The City Council may establish and
organize an institution of learning within the limits
of the city for the teaching of the arts, sciences and
learned professions, to be called the “ University
of the City of Nauvoo ; ” which institution shall be
under the control and management of a board of
trustees, consisting of a Chancellor, Registrar, and
twenty-three Regents, which board shall thereafter
be a body coi’porate and politic, with perpetual
succession, by the name of the “Chancellor and
Regents of the University of the City of Nauvoo,”
and shall have full power to pass, ordain, establish
and execute all such laws and ordinances as they
may consider for the welfare and prosperity of said
University, its officers and students ; Provided,
That the said laws and ordinances shall not be
repugnant to the Constitution of the United States
or of this State ; and, Provided also, That the
Trustees shall at all times be appointed Irjrthe City
Council, and shall have all the powers and privileges
for the advancement of the cause of education, which
appertain to the trustees of any other College or
University of this State.

470

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Sec. 25. The City Council may organize the
inhabitants of said city subject to military duty into
a body of independent military men, to be called
the “ Nauvoo Legion,” the Court-Martial of which
shall be composed of the commissioned officers of
said Legion, and constitute the law-making depart¬
ment, with full powers and authority to make, or¬
dain, establish and execute, all such laws and
ordinances, as may be considered necessary for the
benefit, government and regulation of said Legion ;
Provided, Said Court-Martial shall pass no law or
act repugnant to or inconsistent with the Constitu¬
tion of the United States or this State ; and, Pro¬
vided, also, That the officers of the Legion shall be
commissioned by the Governor of the State. The
said Legion shall perform the same amount of mil¬
itary duty as is now or may be hereafter required
of the regular militia of the State, and shall be at
the disposal of the Mayor in executing the laws
and ordinances of the City Corporation, and the
laws of the State, and at the disposal of the Gov¬
ernor for the public defence and the execution
of the laws of the State, or of the United States, and
shall be entitled to their proportion of the public
arms ; and, Provided, also, That said Legion shall
be exempt from all other military duty.

Sec. 26. The inhabitants of the “ City of
Nauvoo” are hereby exempt from working on any
road beyond the limits of the city ; and for the
purpose of keeping the streets, lanes, avenues and
alleys in repair, to require of the male inhabitants
of said city, over the age of twenty-one and under
fifty years, to labor on said streets, lanes, avenues
and alleys, not exceeding three days in each year ;
any person failing to perform such labors when duly
notified by the Supervisor, shall forfeit and pay the
sum of one dollar per day for each day so neglected
or refused.

NAUVOO CHARTER.

471

Sec. 27. The City Council shall have power to
provide for the punishment of offenders, by impris¬
onment in the county or city jail, in all cases when
such offenders shall fail or refuse to pay the fines
and forfeitures which may be recovered against
them.

Sec. 28. This act is hereby declared to be a
public act, and shall take effect on the first Monday
of February next.

Approved, December 16, 1840.

472

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA*

CHAPTER XLVn.

SOME OF THE CITY ORDINANCES.

An Ordinance Regulating the Mode of Proceed¬
ing in Cases of Habeas Corpus before the
Municipal Court.

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of JVauvoo, That in all cases where any
person or persons shall at any time hereafter be
arrested or under arrest, in this city, under any
writ or process, and shall be brought before the
Municpal Court of this city, by virtue of a writ of
habeas corpus , the Court shall, in every such case,
have power and authority, and are hereby required
to examine into the origin, validity and legality of
the writ or process, under which said arrest was
made ; and if it shall appear to the Court upon
sufficient testimony, that said writ or process was
illegal, or not legally issued, or did not proceed
from the proper authority, then the Court shall dis¬
charge the prisoner from under said arrest ; but if
it shall appear to the Court that said writ or process
had issued from proper authority, and was a legal
process, the Court shall then proceed and fully hear
the merits of the case upon which said arrest was
made, upon such evidence as may be produced and
sworn before said Court ; and shall have power to
adjourn the hearing, and also issue process from
time to time, in their discretion, in order to procure
the attendance of witnesses, so that a fair and im¬
partial trial and decision may be obtained in every
case.

Sec. 2. And be it further ordained , That if upon

CITY ORDINANCES.

473

investigation it shall be proven before the Municipal
Court that the writ or process has been isfeued either
through private pique, malicious intent, religious
or other persecution, falsehood or misrepresentation,
contrary to the Constitution of the United States
or of this State, the said writ or process shall be
quashed, and considered of no force or effect, and
the prisoner or prisoners shall be released and dis¬
charged therefrom.

Sec. 3. And be it also further ordained , That in
the absence, sickness, disability, or other circum¬
stances, disqualifying or preventing the Mayor from
officiating in his office as Chief Justice of the Mu¬
nicipal Court, the Aldermen present shall appoint
one from amongst them to act as Chief Justice or
President pro tempore.

Sec. 4. This ordinance to take effect and be in
force from and after its passage.

Hyrum Smith,

Vice-Mayor and President pro tempore.

Passed August 8, 1842.

James Sloan, Recorder.

An Ordinance concerning Marriages.

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Nauvoo, That all male persons over
the age of seventeen years, and females over the
age of fourteen years may contract and be joined
in marriage ; Provided, In all cases where either
party is a minor, the consent of parents or guar¬
dians be first had.

Sec. 2. Any persons as aforesaid wishing to many,
or be joined in marriage, may go before any regu¬
lar Minister of the Gospel, Mayor, Alderman, Jus¬
tice of the Peace, Judge, or other person author¬
ized to solemnize marriages in this State, and
celebrate or declare their marriage in such manner
and form as shall be most agreeable, either with or
without license.

474

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

V-

Sec. 3. Any person solemnizing a marriage as
aforesaid, shall make return thereof to the City
Recorder,* accompanied by a recording fee of fifty
cents, within thirty days of the solemnization
thereof ; and it is hereby made the duty of the Re-,
corder to keep an accurate record of all such mar¬
riages. The penalty for a violation of either of the
provisions of this ordinance shall be twenty dollars,
to be recovered as other penalties or forfeitures.

John C. Bennett,
Mayor.

Passed Feb. 17, 1842.

James Seoan, Recorder.

Number One again provided for, in the following
ordinance :

An Ordinance for the Health and Convenience of
Travellers and other persons.

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Nauvoo, That the Mayor of the City
be and is hereby authorized to sell or give spirits,
of any quantity, as he in his wisdom shall judge to
be for the health, comfort or convenience of such
travellers or other persons, as shall visit his house
from time to time.

Joseph Smith,
Mayor.

Passed Dec. 12, 1842.

W. Richards, Recorder.

An Extra Ordinance for the extra case of Joseph
Smith, and others.

[. Preamble recounting Smith’s difficulties with
Missouri omitted.']

* The statutes of the State of Illinois require that a license
shall first be obtained from the office of the County Clerk, and
that the person solemnizing marriages shall make his return
to said officer.

CITY ORDINANCES.

475

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Nauvoo, According to the intent and
meaning of the Charter, ‘ ‘ for the benefit and con¬
venience,” That hereafter if any person or persons
shall come with process, demand, or requisition
founded upon the aforesaid Missouri difficulties, to
arrest said Joseph Smith, he or they shall be sub¬
ject to be arrested by any officer of the city, with
or without process, and tried by the Municipal
Court, upon testimony, and if found guilty, sen¬
tenced to imprisonment in the city prison for life,
which convict or convicts can only be pardoned by
the Governor, with the consent of the Mayor of said
city. . . .

Joseph Smith,
Mayor.

Passed Dec. 8, 1843.

W. Richards, Recorder.

An Ordinance To Prevent unlawful Search or
Seizure of Person or Property, by Foreign
Process, in the City of Nauvoo.

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Nauvoo, To prevent kidnapping, ille¬
gal arrests of persons, or unlawful searches for
property, that all writs issued out of the city shall,
before they are executed within the limits of the
city, be examined by and receive the approval and
signature of the Mayor of said city on the back of
said process, and be served by the Marshal of said
city.

Sec. 2. And be it further ordained, That every
officer who shall execute, or attempt to execute, any
process as aforesaid, without first obtaining the
approval and signature of the Mayor of said city, as
specified in the first section of this ordinance, shall
be subject to a fine of not less than five dollars nor
more than one hundred dollars, or imprisonment

476

THE PROPHET OE PALMYRA.

not less than one month nor more than six months
in the city prison, or both, as a breach of ordinance
to be tried before the Municipal Court of said city.

Joseph Smith,
Mayor.

Passed Dec. 21, 1843.

Willard Richards, Recorder.

Amendment.

Sec. 3. Be it ordained by the City Council of
the City of Nauvoo, That nothing in the foregoing
ordinance shall be so construed as to prevent, hinder
or thwart the designs of justice, or to retard the
civil officers of the State or county in the discharge
of their official duties ; but to aid and assist them
within the limits of this city.

Joseph Smith,
Mayor.

Passed Jan. 10, 1844.

Willard Richards, Recorder.

An Ordinance entitled ‘ ‘ An Ordinance to Repeal
certain Ordinances therein named.”

Whereas , An Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance
for the extra case of Joseph Smith and others,”
passed Dec. 8, 1843, and, Whereas, The Ordinance
entitled “An Ordinance to prevent unlawful seizure
and search of person and property, by foreign process
in the City of Nauvoo,” passed Dec. 21, 1843, have
had their desired effect in preserving the peace, hap¬
piness, persons or property of the citizens of Nauvoo,
according to their intent and meaning ; therefore,

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Nauvoo, That the aforesaid ordinances
are hereby repealed.

Sec. 2. And be it further ordained, That noth¬
ing in the first section of this ordinance shall be so

CITY ORDINANCES.

477

construed as to give license or liberty to any foreign
officer, or other person or persons, to illegally dis¬
turb the peace, happiness or quiet of any citizen of
said city, any ordinance to the contrary notwith¬
standing, under a penalty of not less than five
hundred dollars, or imprisonment six months in the
city prison.

Joseph Smith,
Mayor.

Passed Feb., 1844.

Willard Richards, Recorder.

An Ordinance in Relation to Religious Societies.

Section 1. Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of JYauvoo , That the Catholics, Presby¬
terians, Methodists, Baptists, Latter-Day Saints,
Quakers, Episcopalians, LTniversalists, Unitarians,
Mohammedans, and all other religious sects and
denominations whatever, shall have free toleration
and equal privileges in this city ; and should anj’’
person be guilty of ridiculing, abusing, or other¬
wise depreciating another in consequence of his
religion, or of disturbing or interrupting any re¬
ligious meeting, within the limits of this city , he
shall on conviction thereof before the Mayor or
Municipal Court, be considered a disturber of the
public peace, and lined in any sum not exceeding
five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not exceeding
six months, or both, at the discretion of said Mayor
or Court.

[ Published without date or official signature. ]

- 478

THE PBOPHET OP PALMYBA.

CHAPTER XLVIIL

THE CELEBRATED “ CELESTIAL MARRIAGE”
REVELATION.

As Published by Brigham Young in Utah.

A Revelation on the Patriarchal Order of Main
mony, or Plurality of Wives. Given to Joseph
Smith , the Seer , in Nauvoo , July 12, 1843.

1. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my ser¬
vant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired
of my hand, to know and understand wherein
I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob; as also Moses, David, and Solomon,
my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine
of their having many wives and concubines ; Behold !
and lo, I am the Lord, thy God, and will answer
thee as touching this matter; Therefore, prepare
thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which
I am about to give unto you ; for all those who
have this law revealed unto them, must obey the
same ; for, behold ! I reveal unto you a new and
everlasting covenant ; and if ye abide not that cov¬
enant, then are ye damned ; for no one can reject
this covenant, and be permitted to enter into my
glory ; for all who will have a blessing at my hands
shall abide the law which was appointed for that
blessing, and the conditions thereof, as was insti¬
tuted from before the foundation of the world : and
as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant,
it was instituted for the fulness of my glory ; and

CELESTIAL MAE El AGE EEVELATION. 479

he that receiveth a fulness thereof, must and shall
abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the
Lord God.

2. And verily I say unto you, that the conditions
of this law are these : All covenants, contracts,
bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, con¬
nexions, associations, or expectations, that are not
made and entered into, and sealed, by the holy
spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as
well for time and for all eternity, and that too most
holy, by revelation and commandment, through the
medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on
the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed
unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the
last days, and there is never but one on the earth
at a time, on whom this power and the Keys of this
Priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue,
or force, in and after the resurrection from the dead ;
for all contracts that are not made unto this end,
have an end when men are dead.

3. Behold ! mine house is a house of order, saith
the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. Will
I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not
made in my name ! Or, will I receive at your hands
that which I have not appointed ! And will I appoint
unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even
as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the
world was ! I am the Lord thy God, and I give
unto you this commandment, that no man shall
come unto the Father but by me, or by my word,
which is my law, saith the Lord ; and everything
that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men,
by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things
of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by
me, or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown
down, and shall not remain after men are dead,
neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord
your God ; for whatsoever things remaineth, are by

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA

me ; and whatsoever things are not by me, shall be
shaken and destroyed.

4. Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the
world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my
word ; and he covenant with her so long as he is
in the world, and she with him, their covenant and
marriage is not of force when they are dead, and
when they are out of the world ; therefore, they are
not bound by any law when they are out of the
world ; therefore, when they are out of the world,
they neither marry nor are given in mai*riage ; but
are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are
ministering servants, to minister to those who are
worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an
eternal weight of glory ; for these angels did not
abide my law, therefore they cannot be enlarged,
but remain separately and singly, without exalta¬
tion, in their saved condition, to all eternity, and
from henceforth are not Gods, but are angels of
God, forever and ever.

5. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man
marry a wife and make a covenant with her for time
and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me
or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed
by the holy spirit of promise, through him whom I
have anointed and appointed unto this power — then
it is not valid, neither of force when they are out
of the world, because they are not joined by me,
saith the Lord, neither by my word ; when they are
out of the world, it cannot be received there, be¬
cause the angels and the Gods are appointed there,
by whom they cannot pass ; they cannot, therefore,
inherit my glory, for my house is a house of order,
saith the Lord God.

6. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man
marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by
the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed
unto them by the holy spirit of promise, by him who

CELESTIAL M ARBI AGE REVELATION. 481

is anointed, unto whom T have appointed this power,
and the Keys of this Priesthood ; and it shall be
said unto them, ye shall come forth in the first
resurrection ; and if it be after the first resurrec¬
tion, in the next resurrection ; and shall inherit
thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, of
dominions, all heights and depths — then shall it be
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall
commit no murder whereby to shed innocent
blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit
no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall
be done unto them in all things whatsoever my ser¬
vant hath put upon them, in time, and through all
eternity, and shall be of full force when they are
out of the world ; and the3r shall pass by the angels,
and the Gods, which are set there, to their exalta¬
tion and glory in all things, as hath been sealed
upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness
and a continuation of the seeds for ever and
ever.

7. Then shall they be Gods, because they have
no end ; therefore shall they be from everlasting to
everlasting, because they continue ; then shall they
be above all, because all things are subject unto
them. Then shall they be God’s, because they
have all power, and the angels are subject unto
them.

8. Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye abide
my law, ye cannot attain to this glory ; for straight
is the gate and narrow the wajr that leadeth unto
the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few
there be that find it, because ye receive me not in
the world, neither do ye know me. But if ye re¬
ceive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and
shall receive your exaltation, that where I am ye
shall be also. This is eternal lives, to know the
only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he
hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, mv

482

THE PBOPHET OF PALMYPA.

law. Broad is the gate and wide the way that lead-
eth to the death ; and many there are that go in
thereat ; because they receive me not, neither do
they abide in my law.

9. Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man marry
a wife according to my word, and they are sealed
by the holy spirit of promise, according to mine
appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or
transgression of the new and everlasting covenant
whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if
they commit no murder, wherein they shed inno¬
cent blood — yet they shall come forth in the first
resurrection, and enter their exaltation; but they
shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be deliv¬
ered unto the bufferings of Satan unto the day of
redemption, saith the Lord God.

10. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which
shall not be forgiven in the world, nor out of the
world, is in that ye commit murder, wherein ye
shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after
ye have received my new and everlasting covenant,
saith the Lord God ; and he that abideth not this
law, can in no wise enter into my glory, but shall
be damned, saith the Lord.

11. I am the Lord thy God, and will give unto
thee the law of m}r Holy Priesthood, as was or¬
dained by me, and my Father, before the world
was. Abraham received all things, whatsoever he
received, by revelation and commandment, by my
word, saitli the Lord, and hath entered into his
exaltation, and sitteth upon his throne.

12. Abraham received promises concerning his
seed, and of the fruit of his loin — from whose loins
ye are, namely, my servant Joseph — which were
to continue so long as they were in the world ; and
as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the
world they should continue ; both in the world and
out of the world should they continue as innumer-

CELESTIAL 31 ABEL AGE REVELATION. 4S3

able as the stars ; or, if ye were to count the sand
upon the sea-shore, ye could not number them.
This promise is yours, also, because ye are of
Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham ;
and by this law are the continuation of the works
of my Father, wherein He glorifieth Himself. Go
ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham ; enter
ye into my law, and ye shall be saved. But if
ye enter not into my law, ye cannot receive the
promise of my Father, which He made unto Abra¬
ham.

13. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave
Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do
it? Because this was the law, and from Hagar
sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfill¬
ing, among other things, the promises. Was Abra¬
ham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily, I
say unto you, Nat/; for I, the Lord, commanded it.
Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac;
nevertheless, it was written, thou shall not kill.
Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was
accounted unto him for righteousness.

14. Abraham received concubines, and they
bare him children, and it was accounted unto him
for righteousness, because they were given unto him,
and he abode in my law, as Isaac also, and Jacob
did none other things than that which they were
commanded ; and because they did none other things
than that which they were commanded, they have
entered into their exaltation, according to the prom¬
ises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels, but are
Gods. David also received many wives and con¬
cubines, as also Solomon and Moses my servants ;
as also many others of my servants, from the be¬
ginning of creation until this time ; and in nothing
did they sin, save in those things which they received
not of me.

15. David’s wives and concubines were given

484

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

unto him, of me, by the hand of Nathan, my ser¬
vant, and others of the prophets who had the Keys
of this power ; and in none of these things did he
sin against me, save in the case of Uriah and his
wife ; and therefore he hath fallen from his exalta¬
tion, and received his portion ; and he shall not
inherit them out of the world ; for I gave them unto
another, saith the Lord.

16. I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto
thee, my servant Joseph, an appointment, and re¬
store all things ; ask what ye will, and it shall
be given unto you according to my word ; and as
ye have asked concerning adultery — verily, verily
I say unto you, if a man receive th a wife in the new
and everlasting covenant, and if she be with another
man, and I have not appointed unto her by the
holy anointing, she hath committed adultery, and
shall be destroyed. If she be not in the new and
everlasting covenant, and she be with another man,
she has committed adultery ; and if her husband be
with another woman, and he was under a vow, he
hath broken his vow, and hath committed adultery,
and if she hath not committed adultery, but is inno¬
cent, and hath not broken her vow, and she know-
eth it, and I reveal it unto you, my servant Joseph,
then shall you have power, by the power of my
Holy Priesthood, to take her, and give her unto
him that hath not committed adultery, but hath
been faithful ; for he shall be made ruler over
many ; for I have conferred upon you the Keys and
power of the Priesthood, wherein I restore all
things, and make known unto you all things in due
time.

17. And verily, verily I say unto you, that
whatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in
heaven ; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in
my name, and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall
be eternally bound in the heavens ; and whosesoever

CELESTIAL MARRIAGE REVELATION. 485

sins ye remit on earth, shall be remitted eternally
in the heavens ; and whosesoever sins you retain on
earth, shall be retained in heaven.

18. And again, verily I say, whomsoever you
bless, I will bless ; and whomsoever you curse, I
will curse, saith the Lord ; for I, the Lord, am thy
God.

19. And again, verily I say unto you, my ser¬
vant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth,
and to whomsoever you give any one on earth, by
my word, and according to my law, it shall be vis¬
ited with blessings, and not cursings, and with my
power, saith the Lord, and shall be without con¬
demnation on earth, and in heaven ; for I am the
Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the
end of the world, and through all eternity ; for
verily, I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare
a throne for you in the Kingdom of my Father, with
Abraham your father. Behold, I have seen your
sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins ; I have
seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I
have told you ; go, therefore, and I make a way for
your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham,
of his son Isaac.

20. Verily I say unto you, a commandment I
give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife
whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself,
and partake not of that which I commanded you
to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to
prove you all, as I did Abraham ; and that I might
require an offering at your hand, by covenant and
sacrifice : and let mine handmaid, Emma Smith,
receive all those that have been given unto my ser¬
vant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before
me ; and those who are not pure, and have said
they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord
God ; for I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey
my voice ; and I give unto my servant Joseph, that

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

lie shall be made ruler over many things, for he
hath been faithful over a few things, and from
henceforth I will strengthen him.

2 1 . And I command min e handmaid Emma Smith ,
to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to
none else. But if she will not abide this command¬
ment, she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord ; for
I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her, if
she abide not in my law ; but if she will not abide
this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph
do all things for her, even as he hath said ; and I
will bless him and multiply him, and give unto him
an hundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers,
brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and
children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal
worlds. And again, verily I say, let my handmaid
forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses, and then
shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she
hath trespassed against me ; and I, the Lord thy
God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make
her heart to rejoice.

22. And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph
put his property out of his hands, lest an enemy
come and destroy him ; for Satan seeketh to destroy ;
for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant ;
and behold ! and lo, I am with him, as I was with
Abraham, thy Father, even unto his exaltation and
glory.

23. Now, as touching the law of the Priesthood,
there are many things pertaining thereunto. Ver¬
ily, if a man be called of my Father, as was Aaron,
by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that
sent me ; and I have endowed him with the Keys of
the power of this Priesthood, if he do anything in
my name, and according to my law, and by my
word, he will not commit sin, and I will justify him.
Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph ;
for I will justify him ; for he shall do the sacrifice

CELESTIAL M ARBI AGE REVELATION. 487

which I require at his hands, for his trangressions,
saith the Lord your God.

24. And again, as pertaining to the law of the
Priesthood : If any man espouse a virgin, and desire
to espouse another, and the first give her consent ;
and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins,
and have vowed to no other man, then is he
justified ; he cannot commit adultery, for they are
given unto him ; for he cannot commit adultery
with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else ;
and if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law,
he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him,
and they are given unto him, therefore is he justified.
But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is
espoused, shall be with another man, she has com¬
mitted adultery, and shall be destroyed ; for they are
given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth,
according to my commandment, and to fulfil the
promise which was given by my Father before the
foundation of the world ; and for their exaltation
in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls
of men : for herein is the work of my Father con¬
tinued, that he may be glorified.

25. And again, verily, verily I say unto you, if
any man have a wife who holds the keys of this
power, and he teaches unto her the law of my Priest¬
hood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she
believe, and administer unto him, or she shall be
destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will
destroy her ; for I will magnify my name upon all
those who receive and abide in my law. Therefore,
it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law,
for him to receive all things, whatsoever I, the Lord
his God, will give unto him, because she did not
administer unto him according to my word ; and
she then becomes the transgressor ; and he is
exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered
unto Abraham according to the law, when I com-

488 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

mancled Abraham to take Hagar to wife. And
now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily I say
unto you, I will reveal more unto you hereafter;
therefore, let this suffice for the present. Behold,
I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

CHAPTER XLIX.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

The Kinderhook Plates — Titles of the Twelve — The
Prophet as a Linguist — Some Mormon Methods — The
Prophet and Church as Land Speculators— A Story
from Stenhouse— Bishop John D. Lee — The “ Cor¬
rected ” Holy Scriptures.

The Kinderhook Plates.

The plates known as the Kinderhook plates,
have been referred to by many writers on Mor-
monism, as having some connection with that sys¬
tem. This is a mistake. They had no more to do with
Mormonism, or the Book of Mormon or the Mor¬
mon Prophet, than with the downfall of Babylon, —
excepting that they were exhibited in Nauvoo. They
were not discovered at Kinderhook, New York, as
stated by one writer, nor in Ohio, as related by others.
They were dug out of a small mound at Kinder¬
hook, Pike County, Illinois, about seventy-five
miles south of Nauvoo, in or about 1843, by Mr.
Wiley, a merchant of that place. Intent on ascer¬
taining whether a mound near him contained any
relics, this gentleman had the mound dug into, and
these plates, among other things of minor impor¬
tance, were exhumed. They were of copper, six

490

T1IE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

in number, about three inches long, and bell-shaped,
and about the thickness of an ordinary tin plate.
The writer saw and examined these plates about
the time they were exhibted at Nauvoo. Drawings
were made of one side of at least two of them.
What became of them afterwards he does not know.
Most probably they were deposited by Mr. Wiley
in some museum of antiquities.

Titles of the Twelve.

The Twelve Apostles were thus designated by
W. W. Phelps, as published in the Times and
Seasons , at Nauvoo, in' 1841: his own name, — *
we believe he was one of them, — being modestly
omitted :

Brigham Young — The Lion of the Lord.

Parley P. Pratt — The Archer of Paradise.

Orson Hyde — The Olive Branch of Israel.

Willard Richards — The Keeper of the Rolls.

John Taylor — The Champion of Right.

William Smith — The Patriarch of Jacob’s Staff.

Wilfred Woodruff- — The Banner of the Gospel.

George A. Smith — The Entablature of Truth.

Orson Pratt — The Gauge of Philosophy.

John E. Page — The Sun-Dial, and

Lyman Wight — The Wild Ram of the Mountains.

The Prophet as a Linguist.

How Mr. Smith became a linguist it is hard to
tell, seeing he was so ignorant of his native tongue.
He was quite fond of parading his acquirements in

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

491

that respect before his wondering followers. We
give some specimens. In the Times and Seasons ,
of May 1, 1843, he gives a learned dissertation on
the derivation of the name Mormon. He says :

‘ ‘ It has been stated that this word was derived
from the Greek word mormo. This is not the
case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates
from which I, through the grace God, translated the
Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book
speak for itself. On the 523d page of the 4th
edition it reads :

“ ‘And now, behold, we have written this record
according to our knowledge in the characters which
are called among us the Reformed Egyptian, being
handed down and altered by us, according to our
manner of speech ; and if our plates had been suf¬
ficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew ;
but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also ; and
if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye
would have had no imperfection in our record ; but
the Lord knoweth the things which we have written,
and also that none other people knoweth our lan¬
guage ; therefore he hath prepared means for the
interpretation thereof.’

“ Here, then, the subject is put to silence; for
‘ none other people knoweth our language,’ there¬
fore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after
the people were all dead. . . . Before I give

a definition, however, to the word, let me say that
the Bible in its widest sense, means good ; for the
Saviour says, according to the gospel of St. John, 1 1
am the good shepherd ; ’ and it will not be beyond
the common use of terms to say that good is among
the most important in use, and though known by
various names in different languages, still its mean¬
ing is the same, and is ever in opposition to bad.

4$2 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

We say from the Saxon, good; the Dane, god;
the German, gut; the Dutch, goed; the Latin,
bonus; the Greek, kalos; the Hebrew, tob; and
the Egyptian, mon. Hence, with the addition of
more, or the contraction mor, we have the word
Mormon; which means literally more good.

Luminous and lucid ! Then again, in a corre¬
spondence with James Arlington Bennett, a “ crank”
lawyer, residing in the city of New York, the
prophet made this display of his learning :

‘ ‘ Were I an Egyptian, I would exclaim Jah-oh-eh,
Enish-go-on-dosh, Flo-ces Flos-is-is, (O, the earth,
the power of attraction, and the moon passing be¬
tween her and the sun) ; a Hebrew, Hanelo-heem
yenan ; a Greek, O theos phos, esi ; a Roman, Dom-
inus regit me ; a German, Got gebe uns das licht ;
a Portuguese, Senhor Jesu Christo e liberda de ; a
Frenchman, Dieu defend le droit ; but as I am, I
give God the glory, and say, in the beautiful lan¬
guage of the poet :

‘ Could we with ink the ocean fill,

Was the whole earth of parchment made,

And every single stick a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade, —

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry ;

Nor could the whole upon the scroll
Be spread from sky to sky.’ ”

Still another of those efforts, and the last one we
can make room for here, is to be found in an
“Appeal to the Green Mountain Boys,” published
in the Nauvoo Neighbor about the last of Jan¬
uary, 1843. This was an “Address to the Free-

EXPLANATION OF THE CUT ON OPPOSITE PAGE.

Fig. 1. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence
of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time.
The measurement, according to celestial time ; which, celestial time, signifies one
day to a cubit. One day, in Kolob, is equal to a thousand years, according to the
measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.

Fig. 2. Stands next to Kolob, called by the Egyptians Oliblish, which is the next
grand governing creation, near to the celestial or the place where God resides;
holding the key of power also, pertaining to other planets ; as revealed from
God to Abraham, as he offered sacrifice upon an altar, which he had built unto
the Lord.

Fig. 3. is made to represent God, sitting upon His throne, clothed with power and
authority : with a crown of eternal light upon his head ; representing, also, the
grand Key- Words of the Holy Priesthood, as revealed to Adam in the Garden of
Eden, as also to Seth, Noah, Helchisedeck, Abraham, and all to whom the Priest¬
hood was revealed.

Fig. 4. Answers to the Hebrew word raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the
firmament of the heavens; also, a numerical figure, In Egyptian, signifying one
thousand; answering to the measuring of the time of Oliblish, which is equal
with Kolob in its revolution and in its measuring of time.

Fig. 5. Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh ; that Is one of the governing
planets also; and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light
from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key, or in
other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or
stars, as also Floeese or the Moon, the Earth and the Sun In their annual revolutions.
This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli-flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-
kau-beam. the stars represented by numbers 22, and 23, receiving light from the
revolutions of Kolob.

Fig. 6. Represents this earth in its four quarters.

Fig. 7. Represents God sitting upon His throne, revealing, through the heavens,
the grand Key-Words of the Priesthood ; as, also, the sign of the Holy Ghost unto
Abraham, in the form of a dove.

Fig. 8. Contains writing that cannot be revealed unto the world ; but is to be
had in the Holy Temple of God.

Fig. 9. Ought not to be revealed at the present time.

Fig. 10. Also.

Fig. 11. Also.— If the world can find out these numbers. So let it be, Amen.

Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, will be given in the own due time
of the Lord. The above trausation is given as far a3 we have any right to give,
at the present time.

This cut and explanation are from a pamphlet published by
Franklin D. Richards in Liverpool in 1851, who presumes true
believers “ will appreciate this little collection of precious truths as
a Pearl of Great Price,” and lie therefore gives it that title. A
part of the pamphlet is from the so-called Book of Abraham.— “A
translation of some ancient records, that have fallen into our hands
from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of
Abraham while lie was in Egypt, called The Book of Abraham,
written by liis own hand, upon papyrus.” It is of interest in con¬
nection with the claims of archeological knowledge or inspiration
•of the prophe*

A FAC-SIMILE FROM THE BOOK OF ABRAIIAM.

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

men ot the State of Vermont, the brave Green
Mountain Boys, and honest men,” and contained a
recital of the sufferings of himself and people in
Missouri, etc. It starts out by stating that he was
a native Vermonter, and that his father was a sol¬
dier in the Revolution. In the course of it the
following paragraph is injected, and the reader
must judge what connection it has with the main
subject :

“ Were I a Chaldean, I would exclaim : ‘Keed’-
naob ta maroon le-hoam elauhay augh deyshemay-
augh yah aur kan ion gua abadoo, yabadoo ma’ar
guan bomen tehoat shemayaugh elal.’ (Thus shall
ye say unto them, The gods that have not made
the heavens and the earth, they shall perish from
the earth and from these heavens.) An Egyptian :
‘ Saeeh-ni.’ (What other persons are those?) A
Grecian: ‘Diabolosbassilenei.’ (The Devil reigns.)
A Frenchman : ‘ Messieurs sans Dieu.’ (Gentlemen
without God.) A Turk: ‘Ainsheurs.’ (The fountain
of Light.) A German : ‘ Sie sind unferstandig.’
(What consummate ignorance !) A Syrian : ‘ Zan-
bok.’ (Sacrifice.) A Spaniard: ‘II sabio muda
conscio, il nescio no.’ (A wise man reflects, a fool
does not.) A Samaritan : 4 Sannau.’ (O stranger !)
An Italian : ‘A tempa ! O diffidanza ! ’ (O the
times! O the diffidences !) A Hebrew : ‘Antoub
ail rancy.’ (Thou God seest me.) A Dane : ‘Hoad
tidende?’ (What tidings?) A Saxon: ‘ Hwart
riht ? ’ (What right ?) A Swede : ‘ Hvad skilla ! ’
(What skill!) A Polander : ‘ Nav-yeu-shoo-bak
poa na Jesu Christus.’ (Blessed be the name of
Jesus Christ.) A Western Indian : ‘ She-mo-kah,
she-mo-kah, ough nega.’ (The white man, O the

494 THE PltOPHET OF PALMYRA.

white man, he very uncertain.) A Roman : ‘ Pro-
col, o procol este profain.’ (Be off, be off, ye
profane.) But as I am, I will only add: * When
the wicked rule, the people mourn.’”

Some Mormon Methods.

The following plain story, told us by a gen¬
tleman of undoubted veracity, who resided not
many miles from Nauvoo, tells, as well as volumes
could tell, the methods resorted to by the leaders
to filch the hard earnings of their followers, for
their own aggrandizement and for the temple fund ;
and it also furnishes a reason why the Mormons
were so objectionable as neighbors. We give it in
his own words :

“ I often went with produce to Nauvoo; and it
mattered little what kind it was, so it was some¬
thing people could live on ; and if at any time my
stuff was dull sale, I would go the Committee
Rooms [the ‘ Lord’s Store House,’] , and could
always trade it off for something. They had almost
every conceivable thing, from all kinds of imple¬
ments and men’s and women’s clothing down to baby
clothes and trinkets, — which had been deposited as
tithing by t'.ie owners , or for the benefit of the
temple.

“ In the fall of 1843 I went to Nauvoo to buy
calves, and calltd on a blind man who had one to
sell. I bought his calf, — and being curious to learn
his history, went in and saw his wife, with little
twin infants in a crrdle, and great destitution. He
told me that he had a nice home in Massachu¬
setts, which gave them a good support. But one
of the Mormon elders preaching in that country,

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

495

called on him and told him that if he would sell out
and go to Nauvoo, the prophet would open his eyes
and restore his sight. And he sold out, and had
come to the city, and had spent all his means, and
was now in great need. I asked him why the
prophet did not open his eyes. He replied that
Joseph had informed him that he couldn't open his
eyes till the temple was finished: and then, when
the temple was finished, he would open them, and
he should see better than before. And he believed,
and was waiting patiently for the last stroke to be
made on the temple !

“After this interview, when in Nauvoo I often
took them something, and the blind man’s wife
seemed to think I was one of the Saints. One day
I inquired how they were getting along. She told
me they had been getting along finely ; that there
was a company formed to go out on the prairie
and butcher cattle to get beef for the destitute ; —
and that they had been well supplied until about

a week ago ; but Brother - was mean enough

to tell on them, and now they dare not go out any
more to the prairie for beef — * and what to do We
don’t know.’ ”

Going out to the prairie for beef, was to procure
it from anybody’s cattle that ranged there.

The Prophet and Church as Land Speculators.

The church and its head were speculators in
lands and town lots in and about Nauvoo. Of course,
a monopoly of the business was desired. One of
the methods to secure this was to keep the follow¬
ing notice standing in the columns of the Neigh¬
bor;

496 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

* ‘ Notice. — To Emigrants and Latter-Day Saints
generally : I feel it my duty to say to the brethren
generally, and especially to those who are emigrat¬
ing to this place, that there is in the hands of the
trustee in trust, a large quantity of lands, both in
the city and adjoining townships, in this county,
which is for sale, some of which belongs to the
church, and is designed for the benefit of the poor,
and also to liquidate debts owing by the church,
for which the trustee in trust is responsible. Some,
also, is land which has been consecrated for the
building of the Temple and the Nauvoo House. If
the brethren who move in here and want an inherit¬
ance, will buy their lands of the trustee in trust,
they will thereby benefit the poor, the Temple, and
the Nauvoo House, and even then only be doing
that which is their duty, and which I know, by
considerable experience, will be vastly for their ben¬
efit and satisfaction in days to come. Let all the
brethren, therefore, when they move into Nauvoo,
consult President Joseph Smith, the trustee, etc.,
and purchase their lands of him ; and I am bold to
say that God will bless them, and they will here¬
after be glad they did so.

“We hold ourselves ready at any time to wait on
the brethren, and show them the lands belonging
to the Church, and the Temple, etc., and can be
found any day either at President Joseph Smith’s
bar-room, or the Temple Recorder’s Office at the
Temple.

“W. Clayton,

“ Cleric .

Nauvoo, Dec. 16, 1843.”

A Story from Stenhouse.

Some years since, Mr. T. B. H. Stenhouse, a
former Mormon Elder in Utah, issued a work enti-

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

497

tied “ The Rocky Mountain Saints ,” — in which we
find the following relating to the murder of the
prophet in the Carthage jail. Referring to the
prophet’s willingness to meet death, Mr. Stenhouse
says :

“ Notwithstanding this apparent readiness to
meet death, and the deep and clear divine impres¬
sions claimed to have been imparted to the prophet,
of his forthcoming end, it is understood that he
managed to send from prison a communication to
the Mormon officer in military command at Nauvoo,
to bring with all possible dispatch a portion of the
Legion to protect him from treachery, and from
that assassination which he had then so much cause
to apprehend. The military commander put the
communication in his pocket and gave no heed to
the call for help. No one was acquainted with the
contents of the paper, and the officer was therefore,
as he presumed, safe in disregarding it.

“After the prophet’s death, by some accident or
other, this communication was lost, and picked up
on the street and read. The intelligence that Joseph
had called for aid, and none had been rendered him,
was soon bruited among the Saints, and excited
their deepest indignation ; as they were not only
ready to march at a moment’s notice, but were eager
for the opportunity.

“Some time afterwards, when all was quiet, this
‘ coward and traitor,’ as some of the Mormons
called him, or « fool and idiot,’ as others said,
was sent on a mission to the Western frontier,
accompanied by a faithful elder. While traveling
alone with his companion, he fell ill and died, if is
said of dysentery / His companion buried Uuu.”
—Page 164 , Note.

498

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

The foregoing may or may not he true. If true,
it reveals facts we do not remember to have heard
from any other source. It bears semblance of
truth; and the narrator’s twenty-five years’ close
connection with Brigham Young and the leaders in
Utah, certainly gave him every facility for ascer¬
taining its truth. It has ever been a wonder that
the Legion did not make a demonstration while
their leaders were in jail, either to protect or release
them. That they did not, we have heretofore
attributed to their reliance on the prophet’s good
luck in escaping from danger. This story, taken
in connection with the admission made by Governor
Ford, that he, too, contemplated a rescue, presents
a very interesting suggestion : Whether the diso¬
bedience of the officer of the Legion did not prevent
a much more fearful and bloody tragedy than the
one that was enacted. The belief has been general
that an attempt at rescue would soon have been
made. This, of course, cannot be offered as an
excuse for the mob ; but it does excuse the people
of Carthage and the military, for the feverish appre¬
hension under which they labored, and for which
their excitable Governor so severely blamed them.
Who that Legion commander was, alluded to in the
extract, and who afterwards died of “ dysentery ”
(the italics are Stenhouse’s) , we are unable to state.
The italics suggest, however, a quite popular Mor-

NOTES AND ANECDOTES. 499

mon mode of dealing with offenders, of which Sten-
house has noted many examples.

John D. Lee.

The reader will remember this individual as the
man who was made the scape-goat of the authorities
in Utah, some years ago, and was tried, found guilty,
and executed, for his participation in the massacre
at Mountain Meadows. Lee was a resident of
Nauvoo in 1843, and in good standing ; was sent
out as a traveling elder. He was afterwards ad¬
vanced to the position of bishop, and at the time
of said massacre was known in Utah as Bishop
Lee. It is plain that Lee was sacrificed to save
men higher in authority than he.

The “Corrected” Holy Scriptures.

The Publishing Committee of the 4 4 Recon¬
structed ” Church at Plano, Illinois (since located
at Lamoni, Iowa), publish a handsome edition of
the Bible, which they entitle “The Holy Script¬
ures, Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of
Revelation, by Joseph Smith, Jr., the Seer.” The
history of this book is thus given in its preface :

“ This Work is given to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints and to the public in
pursuance of the commandment of God.

“As concerning the manner of translation and
correction, it is evident, from! the MSS. and the
testimony of those who were Conversant with the

500

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

facts, that it was done by direct revelation from
God.

“ It was begun in June, 1830, and was finished
July 2, 1833.”

Then it goes on to state that at the prophet’s
death the MSS. were left in the hands of the widow,
where they remained until 1866, when they were
placed in the hands of the Reconstructors. The
necessity of the work is proven by a quotation from
the Book of Mormon. But the way it came about
between the years 1830 and 1833, is due to Moses :
for, according to a Revelation given to Joseph
Smith in June, 1830, one had been made personally
to Moses on the Mount, “ the name of which shall
not be known among the children of men,” inform¬
ing him that in due time, “ I (the Lord) will raise
up another like unto you,” to do this work — and
so Joseph Smith, “Seer,” came upon the earth to
do it.

“ Evident from the manuscripts, and from the
testimony of those who were conversant with the
facts ” — say the publishers thirty-three years after¬
wards — “ that it was done by dix-ect revelation
from God.”

Strong proof! That is, the manuscripts say it
was ; and those who were ‘ 4 conversant with the
facts ” are presumed to have been Oliver Cowdery,
David Whitmer and Martin Harris, who gave such

NOTES AND ANECDOTES.

501

indubitable proofs of the divine origin of the Book
of Mormon. But what had become of Martin
Harris and his money that the work was not im¬
mediately put to press? A “correction” of the
Holy Scriptures from so able a source, should not
have been permitted to remain unpublished for so
long a period, one full generation, and the world
all that time deprived of its saving advantages.

APPENDIX.

THE LEADERS IN THE REVOLT AT NAUVOO.

The principal leaders in the revolt at Nauvoo, and the
proprietors of the Expositor “ nuisance,” were the two Gen¬
erals in the Nauvoo Legion, William and Wilson Law, Dr.
Robert D. and Charles A. Foster, Francis and Cliaun-
cey Higbee, and Sylvester Emmans. Of course these all
“ vamosed the ranche ” when the press was destroyed, as
it had become decidedly unsafe for them to remain longer
in the city. They had all been prominent men there, and
some of them had been influential leaders.

Mr. Emmans was understood to have been a lawyer,
not a member of the church, but an adventurer who came
there to seek practice. He seems to have been well re¬
ceived, as in a short period he was advanced to a mem¬
bership in the city council. What grievance he had to
induce him to join the rebellion we have never learned.
His name stood in its editorial columns as editor of the
paper. He afterwards located at Beardstown, Illinois,
and for several years conducted a newspaper there.

Francis M. and Chatjncey L. Higbee were two
brothers, sons of an early disciple of the prophet, who had
been with him in Kirtland and Missouri, and afterwards
had gone with him as an emissary to Washington. He had
died soon after locating in Nauvoo. The elder son,
Francis, became intimate in the family of Mr. Rigdon,
and we believe married his daughter, but died many
years ago. C'hauncey Higbee left the city and settled in
Pittsfield, Illinois, studied law and became a judge, in
which position he served successfully and honorably in the
circuit in which Nauvoo is situated, and is now dead.
There is no doubt but Judge Higbee lived to regret the
years of his youth and reckless inexperience among the
Mormons — always deelining to be consulted or inter-

504

THE PBOPHET OF PALMTBA.

viewed on the subject, and remarking, as he once did to
the writer, that the subject was a distasteful one.

Dr. Robert D. and Charles A. Foster were broth¬
ers, who early made their appearance in Nauvoo, but it is
not remembered whether they came from Missouri or not.
Dr. Foster was a physician of considerable intelligence
and capacity, and stood well with the leaders ; so much
so that in 1843 he was put forward and elected to the
responsible office of county school commissioner, re¬
ceiving the support of the leaders and the almost undi¬
vided vote of the sect. He was holding that office at the
time he joined the insurrection. These brothers after¬
ward removed to some point on the Mississippi above,
and have since disappeared from public view.

The Generals Law were converts of wealth from
Canada, and had joined the fortunes of the prophet after
the “ stake ” was planted at Nauvoo. They went into
business there, and were for several years active and
popular business men, in the milling line. After the ex¬
pulsion of the rebels, they too went north and settled in
Wisconsin, poorer but wiser men. We close this sketch
of the revolters by copying in part the report of an inter¬
view held with General William Law, as late as in 1887,
at the home of his son, Judge Thomas Law, at Shulls-
burgh, Wisconsin. If living now he is an octogenarian.
He was interviewed by a Dr. Wyl of Salt Lake City, who
published it in the Salt Lake Tribune. Wilson Law is
long since dead.

The statements of the interview must be taken for
what they are worth. While many of them are corrob¬
orated elsewhere and in many ways, there are others
that need verification, and some that probably exist only
in the mind of the narrator. One fact, however, will ob¬
trude itself upon the mind of the reader — that while these
seceders are making all these damaging statements against
the prophet and the leaders at Nauvoo, it is remembered
that only a year or so earlier they were denying them
when made by others. It is for them to reconcile these
damaging facts.

Interview with William Law, March 30, 1887.

Dr. William Law lives with his son, Judge “ Tommy”
Law. The house is a fine cottage, large, well-kept

APPENDIX.

505

grounds surround it. We entered a cheerful looking
room and there sat William Law, dressed in black, a
most venerable looking figure. The head has a striking
expression of intelligence, the large, clear eyes are of a
remarkably deep steel blue ; the general impression is
that of a thinker, of a benevolent and just man. He
greeted me in a fatherly way. I expressed my joy at
seeing at last so important a witness of a history to
whose study I had devoted two years.

I sat down near the venerable figure. I hesitated to
put any questions to him, but he made my task easy by
saying: “You speak, in your book, of Joseph Smith
having sent Rockwell to kill Governer Boggs. Let me
tell you, that Joe Smith told me the fact himself. The
words were substantially like this : “I sent Rockwell to
kill Boggs , but he missed him, it was a failure ; he
wounded him instead of sending him to Hell.”

This beginning gave me some courage, and I began
the pumping business, in a cautious way, though, that I
might not frighten my subject. I had put down in my
note-book a score of questions or so. So I glanced over
them now and then, stealthily, and ventured this or that
question, waiting till the good doctor would get warm in
the recollections of the past. This happened soon and
then I could ask with more liberty.

“ What position had Rockwell in Joseph’s house?”

“ Rockwell was the lackey of the house. He used to
comb and shave Joseph, blackened his boots, and drove
his carnage. He would have done anything Joe wanted
him to do. I never saw a horse or carriage belonging to
Rockwell which you say he got from Joseph for the at¬
tempt to kill Boggs.”

The reader will easily understand that I had particular
reasons to ask about the Expositor, Wm. Law being the
only surviving publisher and editor of that celebrated
sheet, born and killed June 7, 1844. So I began :

“I suppose that you originated the Expositor, Dr.
Law ? ”

“Yes, I originated the idea to publish that paper. I
had friends in many parts of the country. They knew
that I had become a member of the Mormon religion. I
wanted to show them, by publishing the paper, that I
had not been in a fraud willingly (here the old man’s

506

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

eyes filled with tears and his voice trembled) . I started
the idea, and my brother Wilson, stood to me like a
brother should. I don’t remember whether it was I, or
not, who gave the name ‘ Expositor.’ But I and my
brother, we gave the money, about $2,000. I gave the
biggest part. The Higbees etc., had scarcely a dollar
in it.”

“ You were well off at that time, Dr. Law? ”

“We had property to the amount of about $30,000,
which was a good deal in those days. We had farms in
Nauvoo, city lots, and our residences. My brother had
a fine brick two-story building. By starting the Expos¬
itor we lost nearly everything.”

‘ ‘ Didn’t you have a store and a mill ? ”

“ Yes, we had a large steam flour and sawmill and a
store. It would have been the smart thing to do, to re¬
main quiet, sell our property without noise for what we
could get, and move away. That would have been smart,
but I wasn’t cool and smart then. I wanted to do my
duty and nothing else, and didn’t care for the conse¬
quences, not a bit. Many friends advised me to be
smart and remain quiet, but I would not hear of it and
spoke my mind whenever an opportunity offered. When
the Smiths saw that we were against them, then they ap¬
plied to us their usual system, that is, to freeze ns out.
Secret orders went out that nobody could buy property
without the permission of Joseph Smith, Hyrum, or the
authorities, as they called them, so our property was prac¬
tically worthless. Yes, my brother Wilson stood to me
like a man, fully, fearlessly. He died, here in Shulls-
burgh, of a stroke of apoplexy, after an illness of three
days, ten years ago. He was a very fine and tremen¬
dously strong man. He wrestled with Joe in Nauvoo
and threw him on his back.”

“ How did you become a Mormon, Doctor?”

“ John Taylor and Almon W. Babbitt came as mission¬
aries to Canada and preached where I lived, twenty-five
miles south of Toronto. I believe that Taylor was sincere
then and I believe he was to a late day. Finally the greed
of power and money killed his conscience. There was,
now and then, a good man in Mormondom, for instance
William Marks. He was a very good man and knew as
little of the secret crimes of the leaders as I knew myself.”

APPENDIX.

507

“ The letters you wrote me, made me suppose that the
Smiths tried to kill you when they saw an enemy in
you?”

“ They tried to get rid of me in different ways. One
was by poisoning . I was already out of the church when
Hyrum called one day and invited me for the next day
to a reconciliation dinner as he called it, to his house.
He said Joseph would come too. He invited me and my
wife. He was very urgent about the matter, but I de¬
clined the invitation. Now I must tell you that I, in
those dangerous days, did not neglect to look out some¬
what for the safety of my person, and that I kept a de¬
tective or two among those who were in the confidence
of the Smiths. That very same evening of the day on
which Hyrum had been to my house inviting me, my de¬
tective told me that they had conceived the plan to
poison me at the reconciliation dinner. Their object
was a double one. My going to the dinner would have
shown to the people that I was reconciled, and m37 death
would have freed them of an enemy. You may imagine
that I didn’t regret having declined that amiable invita¬
tion.”

“ Have you had any knowledge of cases of poisoning
in Nauvoo, ordered by the authorities?”

“I know that several men, six or seven, died under
very suspicious circumstances. Among them were two
secretaries of the prophet, Mulholland and Blaskel
Thompson. I saw Mulholland die, and the symptoms
looked very suspicious to me. Dr. Foster, wTho was a
very good physician, believed firmly that those six or
seven men had been poisoned, and told me so repeatedly.”

“ What may have been the reason for poisoning the
secretaries ? ”

(With a smile) “They knew too much, probably.”

“What do you knowr about the Danites?”

“Nothing of my personal knowledge. They existed,
but their workings were kept very secret. I never be¬
longed to the initiated. Smith tried very hard to get
them to kill me. One day my detective told me, that
two Danites had gone to Joseph and told him that they
wanted to put me out of the way. Joseph said : ‘ Don't
— he (Law) is too influential ; his death would bring the
country down upon us ; wait.’ Later, when I was

THE PEOPHET OF PALMTEA.

thoroughly aware of my danger, they tried in all man¬
ners to use roe up, and had Danites all day and night
after me, but I looked out and kept myself safe. What¬
ever there was of crime in Nauvoo, was kept secret. On
the outside evexy thing looked nice and smooth. There
were lots of strangers every Sunday as visitoi’s and then
the best speakers were put on the stand as samples of
the fruits of this fine religion.”

“ Did Emma, the elect lady, come to your house and
complain about Joseph?”

“No. She never came to my house for that purpose.
But I met her sometimes on the street, and then she used
to complain, especially because of the girls whom Joseph
kept in the house, devoting his attention to them. You
have oveiTated her, she was dishonest.”

“ Do you mean to say that she was so outside of the
influence Joseph had over her? ”

“ Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Let me tell you
a case, that will be full proof to you. Soon after my

arrival in Naxxvoo the two L - girls came to the holy

city, two very young girls, 15 to 17 years of age. They
had been converted in Canada, were orphans and worth
about $8,000 in English gold. Joseph got to be ap¬
pointed their guardian, probably with the help of Dr.
Bennett. He naturally put the gold in his pocket and
had the girls sealed to him. He asked me to go on his
bond as a guardian, as Sidney Rigdon had done. ‘ It
is only a formality,’ he said. Foolishly enough, and
not yet suspecting anything, I put my name on the
paper. Emma complained about Joseph’s living with
the L girls, but not very violently. It is my con¬
viction that she was his full accomplice, that she was
not a bit better than he. When I saw how things went,
I should have taken steps to be released of that bond,
but I never thought of it. After Joseph’s death, A. W.
Babbitt became guardian of the two girls. He asked
Emma for a settlement about the $8,000. Emma said
she had nothing to do with her husband’s debts. Now
Babbitt asked for the books, and she gave them to him.
Babbitt found that Joseph had coxxnted an expense of
about $3,000 for board and clothing of the girls. Now
Babbitt wanted the $5,000 that was to be paid. Babbitt,
who was a straight, good, honest, sincere man, set about

APPENDIX.

to find out property to pay the $5,000 with. He could
find none. Two splendid farms near Nauvoo, a big,
brick house, worth from $3,000 to $4,000, the hotel kept
by Joe, a mass of vacant town lots, all were in Emma’s
name, not transferred later, but transferred from the be¬
ginning. She always looked out for her part. When I
saw how things stood, I wrote to Babbitt to take hold of
all the property left by me in Nauvoo and of all claims
held by me against people in Nauvoo. And so the debt
was paid by me — Emma didn’t pay a cent.”

We had chatted about an hour when Dr. Law said that
he felt a little tired. I kept silent for a few minutes.
The old gentleman rallied very soon, and began to speak
without being questioned.

“ I told you that the Smiths tried to poison me.
When Joseph saw that I had no great appetite for recon¬
ciliation dinners, he tried with the Indians. The plan
was, that somebody should use me up who was not
openly connected with the church ; he was yet afraid of
the people because of my influence. Later he would
have killed me without any regard. One day about one
hundred redskins came to town, and twenty or thirty were
sent to my house. We tried to get rid of them, but
could not, and we saw clearly that they had a dark plan
for the night. But we had to keep them, gave them
blankets, and they were all night in our hall. Wilson
Law, I, and some friends, though, kept good watch all
night, with barricaded windows and doors, and guns and
pistols ready.”

“ You have known the parents of the prophet, old
Lucy and old Joe, the Abraham of this new dispensa¬
tion ? ”

“ Oh, yes, I know them. Old Lucy was in her dotage
at that time ; she seemed a harmless old woman. Old
Joe sold blessings, so much a head, always in the same
style — that my sons should be emperors and my daugh¬
ters mothers of queens, and that everybody should have
as many children as there was sands on the shore. Old
Joe was an old tramp.”

“ How about Dr. Bennett?”

“ Bennett was very smart and clever, but a thorough
scoundrel. Never could find out the reason of his down¬
fall. Mrs. Pratt was a most excellent, pure woman, but

510 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the fact that Bennett visited her sometimes, was used by
Joseph to ruin her character. He had his spies every¬
where, and if a woman refused him, he sent his fellows
out to whisper stories around about her.”

“ What do you remember about Emma’s relations to
the revelation on celestial marriage ? ”

“ Well, I told you that she used to complain to me about
Joseph’s escapades whenever she met me on the street.
She spoke repeatedly about that pretended revelation.
She said once : ‘ The revelation says I must submit or be
destroyed. Well, I guess I have to submit .’ On another
day she said : ‘ Joe and I have settled our troubles on the
basis of equal rights.’ . . . Emma was a full accom¬

plice of J oseph’s crimes. She was a large, coarse woman,
as deep a woman as there was, always full of schemes
and smooth as oil. They were worthy of each other ; she
was not a particle better than he.”

“ You think that Joseph was an infidel? ”

“Yes, that he was I have not the slightest doubt.
What proofs have I? Well, my general and intimate
knowledge of his character. And is it possible that a
man, who ascribes all kinds of impudent lies to the Lord ,
could have been anything else but an infidel ? ”

“Did you ever see the celebrated peepstone?”

“ No, I never saw it and I never saw Joseph giving a
revelation. But Hyrum told me once that Joseph, in his
younger years, used to hunt for hidden treasures with a
peepstone.”

“Was Joseph a habitual drunkard? ”

“ I don’t believe he was. I only saw him drunk once.
I found Joseph and Hyrum at a place where they kept
quantities of wine. I remember that Joseph drank
heavily, and that I talked to Hyrum, begging him to take
his brother away, but that was the only time I saw the
prophet drunk.”

‘ ‘ Have you ever heard of the old woman that was
drowned in the interest of the church ? ”

“I have heard of a woman being put aside. They
said she had been brought over the river and buried
on an island near the shore or on the other shore,
near the water. But at that time I did not believe a
word of rumors of this kind, and did not investigate
them.”

APPENDIX.

511

“ Did you ever hear of abortion being practiced in
Nauvoo?”

“Yes. There was some talk about Joseph getting no
issue from all the women he had intercourse with. Dr.
Foster spoke to me about the fact. But I don’t remem¬
ber what was told about abortion. If I heard things of
the kind, I didn’t believe in them at that time. Joseph
was very free in his talk about his women. He told me
one day of a certain girl and remarked, that she had
given him more pleasure than any girl he had ever en¬
joyed. I told him it was horrible to talk like this.”

“ What do you know about robbery being practiced
for the benefit of the church? ”

“ That sort of business was kept very secret. Hyrum
had once a very fine, bran new blue suit, and people told
me the suit was the produce of the spoils of the Gentiles.
I have no doubt that Hyrum played an important role in
this department of church affairs. I think I can prove
it. There was one day a ‘ little council ’ called in Hy-
rum’s office, and I was invited to come. Joseph called
at my house and took me to the little council. Eight or
ten were present, all leaders in the church. Hyrum made
a long argument — said he : ‘ The Missourians have rob¬
bed, plundered and murdered our people. We should
take our revenge on them as thoroughly as possible and
regain what we have lost in Missouri. The simplest way
would be if our people would go to Missouri and buy
their horses and cattle on credit, and then not pay for them;
and our merchants would go to St. Louis and take their
large quantities of goods on credit and then, when the
notes became due, simply not pay them ; our people always
go there and pay for everything. That’s foolish, very fool¬
ish, but it is just the thing that, for instance, Brother Law
is doing. He has paid thousands of dollars there ; but get
all these things from them for nothing, horses, cattle, and
goods, that would help the people wonderfully. Our
merchants should transfer all they have — not only their
stock in trade, but their lots, houses and farms, too — to
their wives and friends in general, so that the creditors
could not get a cent out of them. Some of those present
applauded the proposition, and said that would be only
fair. I said nothing. Then somebody said : ‘ Brother
Law has said nothing.’ I said : ‘ This seems to me not

512

THE PROPHET OP PALMYRA.

only wrong and unjust, but at the same time very ridic¬
ulous, because it is not practicable. You cannot buy
horses and cattle on credit without having established a
credit by long trading ; and as to St. Louis, I was al¬
ways of the opinion' that 'the people thtfre had been very
good to the Mormons. So you would rain your friends
to injure your enemies, punish the innocent to hurt
the guilty. The St. Louis merchants were surely not
the men that persecuted you in Missouri.’ Hyrum got
up, furious, ready to attack me. But Joseph rose and
said : ‘ I move that we adjourn this meeting. Brother
Law has said his opinion, and that is all you wanted
from him.’ Joseph went home with me and on the way
he told me that he shared my views fully, and that I had
exactly spoken. his mind. He praised me very much for
the justice and honesty of my views. ‘ I did not talk,’
said he, ‘ since you took the very words from my lips.’
I need not tell you that this was diplomacy on Joseph’s
part, but Hyrum hated me from that moment, and never
forgave me for what I had said at that little council. But
Hyrum hated me for another reason.”

“ Was that in the robbery line, too?”

“ No. That was from a political reason. It was be¬
cause I opposed him in the dirty political trade he made
with Hoge against Walker. Walker had bought Joseph's
influence by declaring that the city charter of Nauvoo se¬
cured the habeas corpus. I stood by them when Joseph
promised Walker that he should have nine out of every
ten Mormon votes. But Hyrum went to Galena to meet
the Democratic convention there, and promised the sup¬
port of the church to Mr. Hoge for a seat in Congress.
Yes, General Hyrum Smith was to sit in Congress next
year. Saturday came and I went to Hyrum and had a
talk with him. He said he would tell the people to vote
for Hoge, and I said I would oppose him on the stand.
He made objections, but finally had to consent to my
speaking on the stand in this matter. When it came to
the speaking in public Hyrum did all he could to obstruct
me by putting long-winded speakers on the stand, one
after the other, so that it was nearly dark when I got on
the stand. Now, I showed the people how shamefully
they had treated Mr. Walker, and I made such an
impression that they began to shout for Mr. Walker.

APPENDIX.

513

Then, Hyrirni jumped on the stand and declared that he
had a revelation from the Lord, that the people should
vote for Mr. Hoge. This was Saturday. Sunday morn¬
ing I went to Joseph and told him what Hyrum had
done. We went over to the meeting and Joseph told
Hyrum what I had said. Hyrum insisted that he had
had a revelation. ‘ Oh,’ said Joseph, ‘ if this is a revela¬
tion, then it is all right,’ and he went on the stand and
said to the people : ‘ My office is so high, that I could
not think of bothering the Lord with political affairs.
But Brother Hyrum has had a i-evelation — when the Lord
speaks let the people obey.’ ”

“ Had you ever some dramatic scene with Joseph about
the difficulties between you and him ? ”

“He avoided me. But once I got hold of him in the
street and told him in very plain terms what I thought of
him. I said : ‘ You are a hypocrite and a vulgar scoun¬
drel , you want to destroy me.’ Instead of knocking me
down, which he could have done very easily, being so
much bigger and stronger than I, he went away hurriedly
without uttering a single word.”

“ Were you in Nauvoo when the Expositor press was
destroyed?”

“ No, I was in Carthage. There was a meeting at the
court house, many people were present and it was con¬
sidered what should ue done regarding the Mormons. I
think Stephen A. Douglas was present at the meeting.
My friends urged me to come to Carthage with the press
immediately. No conclusion was arrived at, however.
The same evening we went home and when we came to
Nauvoo we rode over our type, that was scattered in the
street, and over our broken office furniture. The work
of Joseph’s agents had been very complete ; it had been
done by a mob of about 200. The building, a new, pretty
brick structure, had been perfectly gutted, not a bit had
been left of anything.”

“Had anything been prepared for a second number?”

“Yes, the inside of number two had been set up.
Seeing what had been done, I took my abode, for safety’s
sake, at my brother’s. I left Nauvoo on a large, new
steam ferry-boat, which transported me, my family and
my brother to Burlington, Iowa. While we had people
packing our things in my house, we rode, my brother and

514

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

I, through the city in an open carriage, to show that we
were not afraid.”

“ Did you ever see Joseph again after you left Nau¬
voo ? ”

“ Only once. I saw him in Carthage at the trial. We
spoke not to each other, and he seemed greatly preoccu¬
pied. We left Nauvoo on the second day after the pass¬
ing of the ordinance which put the press under the abso¬
lute will of Joseph and his creatures. This ordinance
gave them power to imprison and fine us at liberty. ”

“ What opinion have you of Governor Ford?”

“Ford made a good impression upon me; he was
surely a good, straight man.”

“ What kind of a life did the prophet lead in Nauvoo ? ”

“ Joseph lived in great plenty. He entertained his
friends and had a right good time. He was a jolly fel¬
low. I don’t think that in his family tea and coffee were
used, but they were served to the strangers whom he en¬
tertained as tavern-keeper. At least, I suppose so. The
Smiths had plenty of money. Why, when I came to
Nauvoo I paid Hyrum $700 in gold for a barren lot, and
at that rate they sold any amount of lots after having got
the land very cheap, to be sure. Their principle was to
weaken a man in his purse, and in this way take power
and influence from him. Weaken everybody, that was
their motto. Joseph’s maxim was, when you have taken
all the money a fellow has got, you can do with him
whatever you please.”

“ What became of Dr. Bennett?”

“ The last thing I heard of him was that he went up
the river with a large lot of fancy fowls, a speculation of
his. ”

“ What do you know about the revelation on polyg¬
amy ? ”

“ The way I heard of it was that Hyrum gave it to me
to read. I was never in a High Council where it was
read, all stories to the contrary notwithstanding. Hy¬
rum gave it to me in his office, told me to take it home
and read it, and then be careful with it, and bring it back
again. I took it home, read it and showed it to my wife.
She and I were just turned upside down by it ; we did
not know what to do. I said to my wife, that I would
take it over to Joseph and ask him about it. I did not

APPENDIX.

515

believe that he would acknowledge it, and I said so to
my wife. But she was not of my opinion. She felt
perfectly sure that he would father it. When I came
to Joseph and showed him the paper, he said : ‘ Yes, that
is a genuine revelation.’ I said to the prophet : ‘ But
in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants there is a revela¬
tion just the contrary of this. 1 Oh,’ said Joseph, 4 that
was given when the church was in its infancy , then it was
all right to feed the people on milk , but now it is necessary
to give them strong meat/ We talked a long time about
it ; finally our discussion became very hot, and we gave
it up. From that time on the breach between us became
more open and more decided every day, after having
been prepared for a long time. But the revelation gave
the finishing touch to my doubts, and showed me clearly
that he was a rascal. I took the revelation back to my
wife and told her that Joseph had acknowledged it.

‘ That is what I fully expected,’ said she. 4 What shall
we do?’ said I. She advised me to keep still, try to sell
my property quietly for what I could get. But I did not
follow her advice. My heart was burning, I wanted to
tread upon the viper.”

44 You returned the revelation to Hyrum?”

“Yes, I did. I was astonished to see in your book
that the revelation was such a long document. I re¬
member distinctly that the original given me by Hyrum
was much shorter. It covered not more than two or three
pages of foolscap. The contents are substantially the
same, but there was not that theological introduction.
The thing consisted simply in the command of doing it,
and that command was restricted to the High Priesthood
and to virgins and widows. But as to Joseph, himself,
the Lord’s chosen servant, it was restricted to virgins
only, to clean vessels, from which to procure a pure seed
to the Lord.”

“In what manner would Joseph succeed to keep you
and others from knowing what was going on behind the
curtain ? ”

“Marks, Yves, I, and some others had, for a long
time, no idea of the depravity that was going on. This
Was simply the result of a very smart system adopted by
the prophet and his intimate friends like Brigham Young,
Kimball, and others. They first tried a man to see

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Bit

whether they could make a criminal tool out of him.
When they felt that he would not be the stuff to make a
criminal of, they kept him outside the inner circle and
used him to show him up as an example of their religion,
as a good, virtuous, universally respected brother.”

“ Was Joseph a coward? ”

“ Yes, he was a coward and so was Hyrum. You see
it already in the fact that when I attacked him on the
street with most violent words, he did not dare to answer
a word.”

“ How did the prophets dress?”

“Joe and Hyrum were always dressed well, generally in
blue, sometimes in black. Joseph was a fine man, no
doubt of it.”

“ How was it with Joseph’s wrestling?”

“The forces of the prophet in this line have been ex¬
aggerated. My brother Wilson wrestled once with him,
and he laid him down on the floor like a baby. Wilson
could throw a lead bar much farther than Joe could.
But Wilson was an uncommonly fine and strong man,
over six feet. He could hold a weight of 56 pounds on
his little finger and write his name on the wall in big
letters. Joseph was flabby ; he never worked at any¬
thing and that probably made him so. Rockwell did
everything about the house.”

“ Had you any idea that there was a sort of conspir¬
acy to kill Joseph in jail?”

“No, I had no idea, no idea. I had been ruined by
that man ; all my property was gone ; all my dearest il¬
lusions destroyed, and through my connection with him
I got a black spot on my life, which will pain me to the
very last minute of my existence. But I tell you [the
old gentleman buried his head in his hands, and when he
removed them his eyes were wet], I tell you, no, if I had
had any idea of any such scheme, I would have taken steps
to stop it. I have always considered the killing of Joseph
Smith a wrong action. It is my opinion that be deserved
his fate fully, much more than thousands of men who
paid the penalty of their crimes to Judge Lynch — but I
would have preferred that he should have been tried by
court and sent to the Penitentiary.”

“ Did you practice medicine in Nauvoo, Doctor?”

“ Only occasionally. I came to Nauvoo with money.

APPENDIX.

517

I had had a mill in Canada, already. Joseph said to me :
‘ You must not be a doctor here. Buy lands, build mills,
and keep a store to keep you running. As to practicing
and not making anything, let some Gentiles come and do
that. You look out for business and profit. I practiced,
however, occasionally. Once John Taylor was taken
with a very malignant fever. He was treated by his reg¬
ular physician, I think Dr. Wells was his name. He grew
worse and worse. At last I was called in, saw him, and
prescribed for him. They followed my prescriptions and
he got better. This is, I believe, the worst thing I did
in Nauvoo or anywhere else ! ” — Dr. Law followed this
joke with a chuckle, so as to give me to understand that
it was a sin to cure so great a rascal.

“ What kind of men were the other editors of the Ex¬
positor?”

“Dr. Foster was a fine physician and surgeon and a
very agreeable, lively, interesting man. The Higbees
had been very good friends of Joseph in Missouri, and
had served his cause there with a kind of boyish en¬
thusiasm. F rank died long ago and Chauncey only lately.
He had studied law, was an attorney, and sat on the
bench for awhile. He was quite intelligent. The father
of the Higbees had been an excellent man. He died
rather suddenly, and from that time there was something
between his boys and Joseph.”

“ What kind of a physician was Dr. Bennett? ”

“He was a physician of the old school. I could not
say whether he was very successful as a doctor or not.
He was so much occupied for Joseph, that he had no
time to attend the sick.”

“ Did Joseph pay any salary to this Bismarck of his? ”

“ I don’t know, but in that honeymoon of favor, which
he enjoyed in his first Nauvoo time, Joseph gave him
surely all he wanted.”

“ Did you ever hear Joseph speak of his money?”

“Oh, yes, he used to boast of his riches. He ex¬
pressed the opinion, that it was all-important that he
should be rich. I heard him say myself, ‘ It would be
better that every man in the church should lose his last
cent, than that I should fail and go down.’ ”

518 THE PEOPIIET OF PALMYRA.

GOVERNOR WEST AND THE POLYGAMISTS.

Following is a verified report of the visit of Governor
Caleb W. West, of Utah, to the Utah penitentiary,
May 13, 1886, wherein he states the purpose of his visit,
and of the conversation which ensued between him and
Apostle Lorenzo Snow :

[From Salt Lake Tribune, May 14.]

Yesterday Governor West, accompanied by Secretary
Thomas, Register Webb, Marshal Ireland, W. C. Hall,
Esq.,' and Adam Patterson, the official reporter of the
Third District Court, made a visit to the Utah Peniten¬
tiary. The object of the visit of the Governor was for
the purpose of presenting to Lorenzo Snow and the other
polygamists now in the Penitentiary the condition of af¬
fairs resulting from the late decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in the Snow case, and to say
on behalf of Judge Zane and Prosecuting Attorney Dick¬
son and himself, that if they would agree in good faith to
obey the laws hereafter, they would recommend them to
the clemency of President Cleveland.

The party left the Walker House at 1 :30 p. m., and
arrived at the Penitentiary at 2 :30 p. m. Upon arriving
there they were received by Warden Dow and conducted
into one of the apartments of the building outside the
wall. Apostle Lorenzo Snow, at the request of Governor
West, was brought into the room, when the following
conversation occurred between the Governor and Apostle
Snow :

Governor West — Mr. Snow, I suppose you are advised
of the action of the Supreme Court in your case ?

Snow — Yes, sir ; I have heard they have concluded
they had no jurisdiction in my case.

Governor — Of course you are aware that that determi¬
nation by that court makes final the decision of that case
by the Supreme Court here.

Snow — I suppose so.

Governor — Under those circumstances, of course, that
is now the law because it is the decision of the highest
judicial tribunal to which it could be submitted, and I
conceive that it would be a very opportune time to call
and submit to you a proposition, which, in conjunction
with Judge Zane and Mr. Dickson, we have thought ad-

APPENDIX.

519

visable to make, in order to show you. and the people of
the Territory that they are mistaken in believing that
those charged with the execution of the laws in the Ter¬
ritory are animated by any spirit of malice or vindictive¬
ness toward the’people who are in the majority in the Terri¬
tory ; that on the contrary their only wish and only desire ;
one which is nearest to their hearts, is to have the people
of the Territory obey and respect the law. Upon consul¬
tation with Judge Zane and Mr. Dickson, and they sup¬
porting the view that I have suggested, I have come to
say to you and your people here that we would unite in a
petition to the executive to issue his pardon in these
cases upon a promise, in good faith, that you will obey
and respect the laws, and that you will continue no longer
to live in violation of them.

Snow — Well, Governor, so far as I am concerned per¬
sonally, I am not in conflict with any of the laws of the
country. I have obeyed the laws as faithfully and con¬
scientiously as I can thus far, and I am not here because of
disobedience of any law. I am here wrongfully con¬
victed and wrongfully sentenced.

Governor — Yes, but that is from your standpoint. Of
course, that is a question -

Snow — No, no ; perhaps you misunderstand me. I
don’t mean particularly and exclusively the Edmunds
law ; I mean the laws of the land that I consider su¬
preme —

Governor — The law is exactly what the court says it
is. If you are here under a conviction of that kind and
your intention was to obey the law, as you say you have
done, then you can sacrifice nothing if you promise to
obey the law in the future. You then rid yourself of a
conviction which you say is wrongful, and you protect
yourself from a future prosecution if you obey the laws.

Snow — Well, but Governor, why should this be re¬
quired of me, inasmuch as I certainly have not as yet
disobeyed the laws? The law has been wrongfully and
illegally administered in the case of many of us here in
the Pen —

Governor — But we have to submit to the law as admin¬
istered by its agents and properly constituted authorities.
Not one of us, as a citizen, has a right to put his opinion
against that determination. We are bound to submit to

520

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the construction of the laws which the court gives. We
cannot adopt our own construction and follow that, be¬
cause the decisions of the courts constitute what the law
is. You are too intelligent a man to have asked me the
question why you should be required to make such a
promise as that, because you know very well you have
taught and believed that certain practices are right which
the law has put its ban upon. It has been said by our
law-making power that it is not right, and not only that,
but such practices cannot be tolerated in this land, and
that punishment will follow a violation of it.

Snow — I defy any man to come forward and testify
that I have taught any person to disobey the laws.
There is no person that can come forward and testify to
that.

Governor — That has been the teaching of the body that
you belong to.

Snow — -It has been in the past, but it has not been with
me in the present.

Governor — I am not talking about the past. Of course,
I don’t care to discuss that. I say you are here under a
conviction in a court for a past offense, and I come to
propose that the Federal officials unite in asking the
President for pardon for you and others to relieve you
from any punishment you may have incurred, if you, in
good faith, for the future submit yourselves to the laws
as interpreted and construed by the courts.

Snow — Well, now, Governor, of course there is no use
wasting time on this. If you ask me if I renounce the
principles of plural marriage, I will answer you at once.

Governor — No ; that is not the question. The question
I ask you is, will you agree, in good faith, sincerely, in
the future to respect and obey the laws as interpreted by
the courts, which I and every other good citizen ought to
do and must do, and failing to do, incur punishment?

Snow — I was once asked that same question in the First
District Court at Ogden, and I expressed to the Court
my wishes that I should not be required to answer that
question. I considered it a question that they had no
business to ask. I had obeyed the laws and had been
convicted illegally and wrongfully, and I did not consider
it was a personal question as to the future.

Governor — I understand that. That was a question

APPENDIX.

521

that was asked you iu court, aud you had a right to de¬
cline to answer. Now, I come with the earnest desire to
save misery and trouble to the people with whom I am to
be associated officially, and 1 have it very near to my
heart, if possible, to relieve the people here of a great
deal of unnecessary suffering, because I am satisfied that all
this suffering, so far as the protection of the peculiar insti¬
tution which you have established is concerned, is uesless ;
that it will do no good whatever — not one particle — and that
all the sacrifices which you make, and all the sufferings
which you endure, will go for naught. I come with that
spirit and with those motives.

Snow — Yes, I presume so ; but my views are entii’ely
different from that — directly opposite. The result will
not be the one that you anticipate. I speak with knowl¬
edge and you speak with your opinion. I speak in refer¬
ence to knowledge, and am perfectly convinced that the
result will be widely different from that which you state.
No doubt there will be a great deal of suffering, but I,
as one — and I presume it is so with a great majority of
this people — am ready to take the consequences. We
believe in a certain principle, and that principle is dear
to our hearts, and we are willing to suffer as the ancients
did. We honor the law administered rightfully.

Governor — You have come to the question exactly
which I was just going to suggest to you. That being
your state of feeling, that being your avowed course of
action, you ought, then, to do the officials in this Territory
the justice to say that they are not to blame for this state
of affairs ; that your own conduct and your own position
puts you in disobedience to the laws ; that while you suf¬
fer the suffering is incurred by your action and not by
any spirit of malice or any desire upon the part of the
Government or those who represent it to do you an in¬
jury or to cause this suffering ; because, you see, my ob¬
ject and purpose here now is to unite in an effort to re¬
lieve you, but you, by the position you take, preclude any
such position being taken ; you voluntarily and obdu¬
rately place yourselves in this position. Therefore, com¬
mon fairness should require you not to say and not to
publish to the world that you are being persecuted,
hounded, maliciously and vindictively pursued by the
Federal officials who are intrusted with the administration
of the laws.

622

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

Snow — Oh, no more so than Jesus Christ and the
Apostles. They had these same things to suffer and
practiced the same gospel ; and we expect that inasmuch
as we have espoused the same religion and the same prin¬
ciples that they proclaimed, and for which they lost their
lives, that we will have to suffer, and we are willing to do
it.

Governor — You are not being persecuted for opinion’s
sake.

Snow— Oh, no more than the Koman Empire perse¬
cuted the Apostles for opinion’s sake. They arrayed
themselves in disobedience to the laws of the country
they were in. It was the laws that condemned them to
death, and it was the Jewish law that condemned Jesus.

Governor — You are getting off the question and getting
upon a question that is so wide that we would have to
lengthen our lives to discuss it. I came here with sim¬
ply one purpose and desire, which was if I could possibly,
by any effort on my part with the concurrence on your
part of obedience to the laws, to relieve you from any
suffering. You must look at this matter just as it stands.
The courts have construed this law, and their construc¬
tion of it is the law, and we have no right to say anything
else. And when you get out if you continue the course
which you have pursued, do the same acts again, it will
simply be a temporary relief from here — back you have
to come.

Snow — I expect so. I presume that would be the
case.

Governor — Well, now you are suffering and you are
causing others to suffer, and you are injuring the pros¬
perity of the Territory, and all for no good purpose.
You cannot accomplish anything by it. That will not re¬
peal the laws, nor will it benefit you in any way ; because
in prison here, you don’t enjoy the liberty that is guaran¬
teed by the laws to every law-abiding man ; you cannot have
the pleasures of home which are protected by the law, and
you are suffering here without benefit.

Snow — Exactly, but I have no confidence in the courts.
Even if I was to make a promise, I have no idea in the
world that the courts would administer us justice. Let
them first administer us justice and administer the laws
correctly and then we will see.

APPENDIX.

523

Governor — Yes, but that is your own individual opin¬
ion, that the laws are not administered correctly.

Snow — It is your individual opinion that they are.

Governor — I beg your pardon. We must not be too
egotistical. I did not make the laws, and I do not say
what the laws are ; on the contrary, I am taking the de¬
cisions of the courts. I can take the legislative acts and
read them and I may think I know what the law is and
go into court, and the court says that is not the law.
Therefore, I must take the law as decided by the courts,
and so must every law-abiding man. It seems to me you
cannot say that you have no confidence in the protection
of the courts and the officials here -

Snow — I have no confidence whatever.

Governor — You ought not to say that you have no con¬
fidence in the protection of the courts and officials unless
you believe that I have come here under false pretences
and that Judge Zane -

Snow — Oh, no.

Governor — That Judge Zane and Mr. Dickson, who
have concurred with me, are not doing it in good faith.
That is the only way you can say that, because you
must have confidence in us or you must believe we
are not acting in good faith. You know it is a very
unusual thing to see officials who are charged with
the execution of the laws, coming as I have "done, and
with the concurrence of those men, to say that if you will
give your promise, in good faith, that you will observe
this law that we will unite to have you relieved from the
convictions against you. Ordinarily offenders have suf¬
fered for the offenses they have committed, and have no
chance to promise reformation with the chance of being
relieved from puishment. So you must have confidence
if you believe in our sincerity.

Snow — I certainly believe in your sincerity, but you
are not the court. As to Dickson and as to Zane I have
no confidence in them at all.

Governor — Mr. Snow, I think you are very unjust in
that opinien, because I know that this suggestion that I
make — —

Snow — If you had suffered you would think differ¬
ently.

Governor — But you are charging the suffering to them

524

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA

wrongfully, I think. They do not make the laws, they
execute them, and the suffering occurs from your disobe¬
dience of the laws. You are responsible for the suffer¬
ing, not Judge Zane nor Mr. Dickson, and I tell you,
you do them great injustice ; because from all the conver¬
sations I have had with them, and all their conduct dur¬
ing the short time I have been here, I am sure those
men are animated by a good purpose ; an earnest desire
that the people of this Territory obey the law, and they
take no pleasure in the suffering which is caused by diso¬
bedience of the laws.

Snow — They send us here without a particle of evi¬
dence. It is through the counsel given to the jury by
the Judge — by Judge Zane, who is influenced by Dick¬
son. I have not a particle of confidence in those men.
If you had come entirely alone without the names of
those men, we would have more confidence in the propo¬
sitions.

Governor — You can have confidence in the propositions
whether I tell you or they, because they are made in en¬
tire good faith.

Snow — What did I tell you in the talk we had the
other day in reference to the Supreme Court ?

Governor — That Supreme Court has a duty to perform.
Of course it could not take jurisdiction of the case which
was not within its jurisdiction.

Snow — They took jurisdiction in the first case that went
up there.

Governor — Of course ; then, if they were wrong in the
first place, I would not have so great a respect for them
if they did not turn around and rectify it in the other
case. Of course you can have what opinions you please
about the courts or the officials ; but, as I say, no good
citizen can have an opinion which will justify him in vio¬
lating the law — none. There is no excuse for that.

Snow — All right.

Governor— Of course I did not know what the result
of this would be, but I came with the disposition to show
you and the people here that there is an opportunity for
them to escape the punishment they have incurred if they
should conform to the law, and escape the misery and
trouble they are enduring now in consequence of their
violation of the law.

APPENDIX.

525

Snow — If Judge Zane and Dickson wish to take the
course to obtain any proposition from me in this matter,
let them first release me and my friends from the peni¬
tentiary.

Governor — They could not do it ; nobody but the Pres¬
ident could.

Snow — Well, we do not ask it.

[Heretofore literal — hereafter condensed.]

Apostle Snow then went on at some length to recite the
story of their experience in Illinois and Missouri claiming
that similar persecutions to what they endured there,
were being inflicted here and with the same spirit.

The Governor replied that the refutation of the posi¬
tion that it was a persecution for religion’s sake lay in
the fact that we had hundreds and hundreds of different
denominations in the United States, and none but the
people here had ever any such complaint to make.

To this Snow replied that was because they were man¬
made Christians, while the Mormons were God’s people,
and that made all the difference, and started on the sub¬
ject of modern revelation, a subject which the Governor
was not disposed to discuss.

Snow also claimed again that he had conformed to the
laws.

The Governor said he thought that was a mistake ;
that the court and jury had found otherwise, and that
our conduct must be regulated not by the individual’s
own construction of the law but by the decisions of the
courts.

Snow then repeated what he had formerly said in court
at Ogden in regard to his intention to obey the law in the
future — that he thought it was an improper question and
that he told the Judge so.

Governor West then said that Mr. Snow’s responsibil¬
ity, on account of the position he held, was much greater
than that of many others convicted of the same offense ;
that by his conduct many a heart would ache and many
a tear would flow that he would be responsible for, which
might be saved if he would obey the law and use his influ¬
ence and control among the people to have them do like¬
wise.

Mr. Snow said they had an object in view ; that there
would be a change eventually, but how much suffering

526

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

there would be between this time and that period he could
not say, but they were prepared to go through it. He
would not promise to obey the law, “even if you were
the President of the United States, although you said the
other day he is a better man than you are.” He had
about the same regard for Dickson’s official career that
he had for the Jews for killing our Saviour.

The Governor then explained to Snow that he had had
him called out in order that he might first have a talk with
him in detail on the matter, but that he was going inside
to make the same offer to the other prisoners confined on
similar sentences. Snow said he would not speak a word
to them in relation to it, but should leave it to the indi¬
vidual judgment of each person.

Snow received the kindly propositions of the Governor
coolly, and by an occasional sneer upon his countenance
manifested in a careless way his utter indifference to the
great opportunity presented to him. He several times
tried to draw the Governor into a religious discussion,
but was unsuccessful.

The party then entered the enclosure and found that
all the prisoners confined who were not charged with un¬
lawful cohabitation had been caused to retire to the east
side and those convicted of the latter offense were assem¬
bled in the large room near the southwest corner of the
enclosure. The Governor then spoke to them as follows :

“ I have simply come to announce to yon something
which you probably know. The Supreme Court of the
United States has rendered a decision dismissing the ap¬
peal in certain cases in which a construction of the law
under which you are sentenced is involved, and the tri¬
bunal which has the construction and settlement of what
the law is, having decided it, and you all being aware
now of your duty under the law, it occurred to me as a
very opportune time to come here and make a proposi¬
tion to you which had suggested itself to my mind for
your relief. That proposition is made after a consulta¬
tion with Judge Zane and with Mr. Dickson, and it is, that
we would all concur in a petition of the President to re¬
lieve you from the effect of the sentences which you are
now suffering, for disobedience of the law, if you would
in good faith and sincerity, agree to respect and obey
the laws as interpreted by the courts.

APPENDIX.

527

“ You know that the effect of the decision which has
been rendered, and which is the law of the land beyond
question and beyond controversy, is that if you get free
here and continue in the same course of life that brought
you here, that it is only a question of how long you live
as to how long you will be kept in a place like this.
Now, it is the desire of the Federal officials here, if pos¬
sible, to relieve you from past punishment if in the fu¬
ture you will be subservie»t and obedient to the laws.

“That is all I came for, and I came with the honest,
earnest, and sincere desire that as many of you as will
accept of this proposition will relieve yourselves from this
punishment and not incur it in the future. This is all I
have to say, except that the proposition is made with all
earnestness and sincerity, and with a great desire that
some, if not all, will avail themselves of it. It is a mat¬
ter for you to determine, however, and it is submitted to
you in that way. I hope you will take it under consider¬
ation and think about it. I hope that, in good faith and
sincerity, you will try to avail yourselves of our efforts
in your behalf. If any of you are disposed to make this
agreement in good faith, and you are not prepared to do it
now ; if you are prepared at any future time you can let
the Marshal know it and he will convey the information
to me, and I will give the matter such attention as is
proper to have you speedily released.”

This speech was received in silence, with a cunning
leer on many faces. Apostle Snow sneeringly asked :
“ Would you wish to take a vote on it?”

Governor — No, sir ; I don’t care for any expression
now, except that if any parties are willing they can say
so now, and if not, I prefer to let it pass until they are
willing.

Abraham H. Cannon asked the question what they
should do with their wives, and such questioning was
continued at considerable length and very informally af¬
ter they were all outside the building. The Governor
said he was not there to expound the law ; the only ad¬
vice he could give them was to obey the laws as interpreted
by the courts. Cannon remarked that the interpreta¬
tions of the courts were various and so conflicting that
he would like to be informed how they were to know what
the law was. The Governor replied that he thought with

THE PBOFHET OF PALMYBA.

Mr. Cannon’s education and intelligence if he -went about
it earnestly he would have very little difficulty in ascer¬
taining what the law was.

Then followed for a few minutes a general conversa¬
tion, several of the prisoners gathering round each of the
visitors and plying them with questions. “What must
we do with our wives and children? ” “ Who can tell us

what the courts require?” “Judge Zane requires one
thing, Judge Powers another; whom are we to obey?”
“ Am I expected to declare my children illegitimate ? ”
etc., to all of which there was but one answer. As one
of them mournfully remarked : “We have got to give
in or stay here for the balance of our lives.”

The Governor and party, after good-natured adieus,
left the penitentiary at 3 :30 p. m., arriving at the Walker
House an hour later. Thus ended a kindly meant but
fruitless mission.

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a correct report of
the interview at the Utah Penitentiary between Gov. West,
Lorenzo Snow, and others. It is literal so far as it pur¬
ports to be ; and the balance of it (that which is put in
narrative form) is a fair and correct condensation of
the same. I am stenographic reporter of the Third Ju¬
dicial District Court of Utah Territory.

A. S. Patterson.

[Governor West also affirmed the correctness of this
interview in a telegram to the Hon. R. N. Baskin. — Ed.
Tribune.]

A CHARACTERISTIC DOCUMENT.

An apology may be considered due for the introduc¬
tion into these pages of such an indecent and disgusting
document as the following. Yet the public have a right
to know just what Mormonism is and was during the days
of its founders. To supply this knowledge truly and
faithfully is one of the purposes of this work ; and we
therefore feel justified in adding what follows to the al¬
ready vast accumulation.

Whilst sojourning in Northwest Missouri, the Prophet
issued at the Stake of Far West, a paper called the El-

APPENDIX.

529

ders’ Journal. Tt was designed to be and was accepted
as the church organ, and was controlled and edited by
Joseph Smith himself, though it is understood that Sid¬
ney Rigdon was a regular writer for its pages. Which
of these two is responsible for the article in question, we
have now no means of knowing other than is contained
within itself.

During that period, only a short time previous to the
breaking up and expulsion from that State, there was
much dissension and insubordination among the brethren,
both in the West and in Ohio. A number were rebellious
and were cut off — turned over to the buffetings of Satan
— to use a familiar expression of the period. Among
those rebellious ones were the individuals named below —
two of whom had been editors of the church organs, two
were of the Twelve Apostles, and the others had held
high positions.

In this Elders' Journal — date not now at hand — ap¬
pealed the following, which is given nearly entire ; and
because of its disgusting character, we hide it away in
this Appendix. Its genuineness is not to be disputed, as
reference to that journal will show.

It will be remembered that Smith and Rigdon and their
followers were all this time posing as Saints of the Most
High, and that the first named claimed to be commis¬
sioned from Heaven to do a great work for the Salvation
of the world, while Sidney was to aid him. This is one
of the ways they adopted for doing it.

Dissenters and Priests.

[From the Elders’ Journal.]

... If we did not know, that the people of this generation
love lies more than the truth, or at least a great many of
them, it would be a matter of some astonishment to us,
to see with what eagerness^they give credence to every
hypocrite, and iniquitous wretch we detect in his wicked¬
ness, and bring to an account. It matters not how scan¬
dalous is his conduct, the priests and all their coadjutors
rally around them the very moment they are excluded
from the church, and listen with most intense interest to
their lies ; and soon the papers are filled with their lies
and abominations, But such is the piteous situation of

530

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the priests of all denominations, for there are no excep¬
tions to be made ; for, to say the least of them, they
have pleasure in lies ; bnt in the truth they have no
pleasure, neither have they any part. Within the last six
months they have been making one of their greatest ef¬
forts. The church, in accordance with her laws, excluded
from her fellowship a set of creatures, whose behav¬
ior would have disgraced a Heathen Temple ; and as
might have been expected, they had recourse to the foul¬
est lying and basest slander, in order to hide their
iniquity. This seemed as a favorable opportunity, to
the persecuting priests and their adherents. They gath¬
ered round them in swarms, like the flies around iEsop’s
foxes, and opened both their eyes and ears, to enjoy a
good feast of lies, which pleased them more abundantly
than any other sound could, except the voice of Beelze¬
bub, the Prince of the whole brood ; his voice would doubt¬
less have been been more delightful to them than an an¬
gel of light to the ear of a Prophet of the living God.
All these pious soul’s papers were put into requisition ;
and this gang of horse-thieves and drunkards were called
upon immediately, to write their lies on paper, and let
them print them, so that all the world might have as
great a feast of lies as they had. Accordingly, to work
they all .went, with one accord ; and after this mighty
mountain of bustle and human folly, had filled its full
time of gestation, behold, and lo ! it brought forth a mouse
from the bowels of Mr. Warren Parrish, and the priest’s
papers have flown abroad to tell the world of it ! No an¬
imal, we presume, has been produced in the last century,
which caused more agony, pain and groaning, than this
wonder of modern times ; for during the time of gestation,
and a long time before the birth thereof, he kept up such
an unusual groaning and grunting, that all the devil’s
whelps in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties, of Ohio, were
running together, to see what was about to come forth
from the womb of granny Parrish. He made such an
awful fuss about what was conceived in him, that
night after night, and day after day, he poured forth his
agony before all living, as they saw proper to assemble.
For a rational being to have looked at him, and heard
him groan and grunt, and saw him sweat and struggle,

APPENDIX.

531

len as was Rebecca’s when the angel told her that there
were two nations there. In all this grunting business
he was aided by Leonard Rich ; who, however, was gen¬
erally so drunk that he had to support himself by some¬
thing, to keep him from falling down ; but then it was all
for conscience sake. Also a pair of young black-legs ;
one of them a Massachusetts shoemaker, by the name of
John F. Boynton ; a man notorious for nothing but ignor¬
ance, ill-breeding, and impudence ; and the other by the
name of Luke Johnson, whose notoriety consisted, if in¬
formation be correct, in stealing a barrel of flour from
his father, and other acts of a similar kind. Thus aided
Mamma Parrish made a monstrous effort to bring forth ;
and when the full time of gestation was come, the won¬
der came forth, and the priests who were in waiting,
seized the annual at its birth, rolled it up in their papers
and sent it abroad to the world. But Rich, Boynton,
and Johnson, in the character of midwives, waited around
the bed of Mamma Parish to get away the after-birth ;
but awful to relate ! they no sooner got it away than
Mamma expired, and the poor bantling was left in the
hands of the priests to protect and nurse it, without any
other friend. A short time after the delivery of granny
.Parrish, a little ignorant blockhead, by the name of
Stephen Burnett, whose heart was so set on money, that he
would at any time sell his soul for fifty dollars, and then
think that he had made an excellent bargain ; and who
had got wearied of the restraints of religion, and could
not bear to have his purse taxed, hearing of the delivery
of granny Parrish, ran to Kirtland, got into the Temple,
and tried with all his power to bring forth something, no¬
body knows what, nor did he know, himself ; but he thought
as granny Parrish had been fruitful, so must he ; but
after some terrible grun tings, and finding nothing coming
but an abortion, rose up in his anger, proclaiming all
revelation lies, and ran home to his daddy with all
his might, not leaving even an egg behind, and there sat
down and rejoiced in the great victory he had obtained
over the great God, and all the holy angels ; how he had
discovered them liars and impostors.

There was also a kind of secondary attendant, that
waited upon this granny of modern libels, whose name is
Sylvester Smith ; in his character there is something no-

532

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA .

torious — and that is, that at a certain time in Kirtland,
he signed a libel, in order to avoid the punishment due
to his crimes ; and in so doing has disqualified himself
for taking an oath before any court of justice in the
United States. That libel can be forthcoming at any
time, if called for. Thus armed and attended, this mod¬
ern libeller has gone forth to the assistance of the Priests,
to help them fight against the great God, and against his
work. How successful they will be, future events will
determine. A few words on the history of this Priest’s
help-mate may not be amiss. He went into Kirtland,
Ohio, some few years since to live, and hired his board¬
ing in the house of one Zerah Cole. He had not, how¬
ever, been there but a short time, until Mr. Cole began
to make a grievous complaint about his taking unlawful
freedom with his (Cole’s) wife. Parrish was accord¬
ingly brought to an account, before the authorities of
the church for his crime. The fact was established, that
such unlawful conduct had actually taken place between
Parrish and Cole’s wife. Parrish, finding that he could
not escape, confessed, and plead for forgiveness like a
criminal at the bar, promising in the most solemn man¬
ner, that if the church would forgive him, he never would
do so again — and he was accordingly forgiven. For
some considerable time there were no outbreakings with
him, at least, that were known ; but a train of circum¬
stances begun at last to fix guilt on his head, in another
point of light. He had the handling of large sums of
money ; and it|was soon discovered, that after the money
was counted and laid away, and came to be used and
counted again, that there was always a part of it missing.
This being the case repeatedly, those who owned it, know¬
ing that there was no other person but Parrish who had
access, suspicion, of necessity, fixed itself on him. At
last the matter went to such length, that a search-warrant
was called for, to search his trunk. The warrant was de¬
manded at the office of F.G. Williams, Esq., but he refused
to grant it ; and some difficulty arose on account of it.
The warrant was, however, at last obtained, but too late ;
for the trunk in question was taken out of the way, and
could not be found ; but as to his guilt, little doubt can be
entertained, by those acquainted with the circumstances.

After this affair, Parrish began to discover that there

APPENDIX.

was great iniquity in the church, particularly in the edi¬
tor of this paper, and began to make a public excitement
about it ; but in a short time he had an opportunity of
proving to the world the truth of his assertion. A poor,
persecuting booby, by the name of Grandison Newell,
and who, in fact, was scarcely a grade above the beasts
that perish, went and swore out a state’s warrant against
the editor of the paper, — saying he was afraid of his life.
In so doing, he swore a palpable lie, and everybody knew
it, and so did the court, and decided accordingly. One
of the witnesses called in behalf of Mr. Newell was War¬
ren Parrish.

Newell had no doubt but great things would be proven
by Parrish. When the day of trial, however, came, Par¬
rish was not forthcoming. Newell’s counsel demanded an
attachment to bring him forthwith, and accordingly Par¬
rish was brought. But behold the disappointment ! when
Parrish was called, instead of fulfilling Newell’s expecta¬
tion, when asked by the lawyers, “ Do you know of any
thing in the character or conduct of Mr. Smith, which is
unworthy of his professions as a man of God ? ” the answer
was, “ I do not.” The countenance of Newell fell ; and if
he had possessed one grain of human feeling, would have
went off with shame ; but of this there is about as much in
him, as there is in other beasts. In giving the answer
Parrish did, he has given the lie to all that he has said,
both before and since ; and his letter, that is now going
the rounds in the Priest’s papers, is an outrageous pack
of lies, or else he took a false oath at Paynesville. Take
it which way you will, and the Priests' have but a feeble
help-mate in Granny Parrish ! The truth is, at the time
Parrish was called on to give testimony, in Paynesville,
he had not got his nerves so strengthened, as to take a
false oath, and though he could lie most insufferably,
still, he had some fear about swearing lies. But no
doubt if he were called upon now, he would swear lies
as fast as tell them ; since he denies all revelation, all
angels, all spirits, and has taken the liar Sylvester Smith
by the hand, and become his companion. Some time
after Parrish had given his testimony at Paynesville, he
began again to rail. The church would bear it no longer,
and cut him off. A short time after he was cut off, he
plead with them to receive him back again, and in order

534

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

to get back, he confessed all he had said to be false,
asking forgiveness for it, and by much pleading and con¬
fession, and promises of reformation, was received back
again. Thus, once Tinder oath, and another, and another
time voluntarily, for the sake of getting back into the
church, he confessed himself, that all that he had said, and
all that he had written, were falsehoods ; for his letter that
is going the rounds in the papers, is no more than a reiter¬
ation of what he had before declared, and denied him¬
self. This is the poor, pitiful resort, then, of the Priests,
in order to stop the progress of the truth. But this is
not all concerning Mamma Parrish. The next business
we find him in, is, robbing the Kirtland bank of twenty-
five thousand dollars at one time, and large sums at
others. The managers had in the mean time appointed
him as Cashier, and F. G-. Williams as President, and they
managed the institution with a witness. Parrish had
stole the paper out of the institution, and went to buying
Bogus and counterfeit coin with it, becoming a partner
with the Tinker’s Creek black-legs, and in company with
Julius Granger, in buying different kinds of property
with it, and devoting it to his own use, and soon entirely
destroyed the institution. He was aided by his former as¬
sociates to take his paper, and go and buy Bogus with it,
from the Tinker’s Creek black-legs, and on the way com¬
ing home, they would way-lay Parrish and his gang, and
rob them, so they would lose the Bogus money at last.
Parrish sold his horse and carriage for Bogus money, and
behold when he came home and opened his box of Bogus,
it was sand and stones. Parrish was somewhat chagrined
at this, so he gets out a state’s warrant, takes his coad¬
jutor, Luke Johnson, and off to Tinker’s Creek they go,
— Johnson a constable ; the pretended object was to take
the man who had them (the horse and carriage) , one for
stealing them, and the other as stolen property. Coming
to the place where they were, Johnson takes after the
man and drives him into a barn. Parrish in the mean
time, takes the horse and carriage and clears to Kirtland
with it. And when Johnson had pretendedly tried to
take the man, until he supposed Parrish had got off with
the horse and carriage, he ceased the pursuit, and went
home. For this, Parrish was taken by the Sheriff of
Cuyahoga county, his hands bound behind his back, and

APPENDIX.

535

held in custody until he paid two hundred dollars, and if
he had not paid it, he would have stood a chance for the
woi’khouse. Thus, O ye Priests, what a blessed com¬
pany of associates you have got, to help yoq on in the
work of persecution. You ought to rejoice greatly at the
venerable addition which you have added to your num¬
bers. No doubt they are men as much after your own
hearts, as ever David was after the heart of God : and
you, Mr. Sunderland in particular, you have, no doubt,
in Warren Parrish, an helpmate after your own image,
and your own likeness. Congratulate yourself greatly,
for having obtained a man after your own heart to help
you to lie and persecute. O ye Priests ! but you are a
lieaven-born race ! and that all the world may well know,
by the company you keep ; you have got Warren Parrish
for an associate, a man notorious for lying, for adultery,
for stealing, for swindling, and for villainy of all kinds,
but for nothing else ; are you not happily yoked together
with believers, precisely of your own characters ? — Surely
you are, since it is company of your own choosing. For
our parts we shall consider it an honor to be belied and
persecuted by debauchees ; in it we will rejoice as long
as we have breath, knowing if these men speak well of
us that we are not doing the will of God, for the friend¬
ship of such is enmity against God, and the friend¬
ship of God is enmity to such. And there, O ye Priests,
we leave you with your holy company, until it shall be
said to you all, “Depart ye workers of iniquity, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

There is another character, who has figured somewhat
in the affairs of Granny Parrish — a Doctor W. A. Cow-
dery. This poor , pitiful beggar came to Kirtland a few
years since, with a large family, nearly naked and desti¬
tute. It was really painful to see this pious Doctor’s
(for such he professed to be) rags flying, when he walked
the streets ; he was taken in by us in this pitiful condi¬
tion, and we put him into the printing office, and gave
him enormous wages, not because he could earn it, or
because we needed his service, but merely out of pity ;
we knew the man’s incompetency all the time, and his
ignorance and inability to fill any place in the literary
world, with credit to himself or his employers ; but not¬
withstanding all this, out of pure compassion, we gave

536

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

him a place, and afterwards hired him to edit the paper
in that place, and gave him double as much as he
could have gotten anywhere else. The subscribers,
many at least, complained of his inability to edit the
paper, and there was much dissatisfaction about it, but
still we retained him in our employ merely that he might
not have to be supported as a pauper. By our means
he got himself and family decently clothed and got sup¬
plied with all the comforts of life, and it was nothing
more nor less than supporting himself and family as
paupers ; for his services were actually not worth one
cent to us, but on the contrary was an injury, the own¬
ers of the establishment could have done all the work
which he did, themselves, just as well without him as
with him. In reality it was a piece of pauperism, but
now reader, mark the sequel ; it is a fact of public no¬
toriety, that as soon as he found himself and family in
the possession of decent apparel, he began to use all his
influence to our injury, both in his sayings and doings.
We have often heard it remarked by slave-holders, that
you should not make a negro equal with you, or lie would
try to walk over you ; we have found the saying verified
in this pious Doctor, for truly niggardly spirit mani¬
fested itself in all its meanness, even in his own writings,
(and they were very mean at best) . He threw out foul
insinuations, which no man who has one particle of noble
feeling would have condescended to, but such was the
conduct of this master of manners ; nor was this nig¬
gardly cause confined to himself, but his sons also were
found engaged in the same mean business. His sons, in
violation of every sacred obligation, were found among
the number of Granny Parrish men, using all their in¬
fluence, which however was nothing, but they were none
the less guilty for that ; for if it had been ever so great it
would have been used to destroy the benefactors of their
family from poverty and wretchedness.

One thing we have learned, that there are negroes who
wear white skins, as well as those who wear black ones.
Granny Parrish and a few others who acted as lackies,
such as Martin Harris, Joseph Coe, Cyrus P. Smalling,
etc. , but they are so far beneath contempt, that a notice of
them would be too great a sacrifice for a gentleman to
make. Having said so much, we leave this hopeful com-

APPENDIX.

537

pany, in the new bond of union which they have formed
with the Priests.

While they were held under restraint by the church,
and had to behave with a degree of propriety, at least,
the Priests manifested the greatest opposition to them ;
but no sooner were they excluded from the fellowship of
the church, and gave loose to all kinds of abominations,
swearing, lying, cheating, swindling, drinking, with every
other species of debauchery, then the Priests began to
extol them to the heavens, for their piety and virtue,
and make friends with them, and call them the finest fel¬
lows in the world. Is it any wonder, then, that we say
of the Priests of modern days, that they are of Satan’s
own making, and are of their father, the Devil? Nay,
verily, nay, for no being but a scandalous sycophant and
base hypocrite would say otherwise. Therefore, until
we have more evidence than we have now, we shall al¬
ways think, when we see men associating with scoun¬
drels, that they themselves are scoundrels ; and there we
shall leave them for the present, firmly believing, that
when the day of decision has come, we shall see all the
priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day,
with all their followers, without an exception, receive
their portion with the Devil and his angels.

MRS. EMMA SMITH’S LETTER.

"We have frequently expressed the opinion that Mrs.
Emma Hale Smith never had any confidence in the val¬
idity of her husband’s claim as “Prophet, Seer, and
Revelator.’" At the time of her death in Nauvoo, a few
years ago, her son Joseph and his friends, of the “ Re¬
constructed Branch ” of the church, had much to say of
her adherence to the faith, and of her having died in ful
belief of the truths of Mormonism.

It is true that in all the later years of her life, and
since that son had arrived at manhood and had been
placed in the new Presidential office, she had lived in
friendly relations with him and his followers. How far
this condition of affairs may have changed her opinions
is not known ; but certain it is, that in her widowhood,
and while the son was still a boy, and with no aspu’ations

THE PBOPHET OF PALM YEA.

for a pi’ophet’s career, her feelings were otherwise. She
was a very quiet and unobtrusive woman, yet on many
occasions when questioned on the subject, she is re¬
ported to have expressed her unbelief in the sacred char¬
acter of her husband’s mission.

The year 1845 was one of turbulence at Nauvoo.
Among all the. aspirants for the prophet’s mantle, Brig¬
ham Young was the successful one, and was preparing
to lead his followers to Oregon or California. In the
New York Sun of about Dec. 1, 1845, was published the
following letter from Mrs. Smith, which goes far to sub¬
stantiate the correctness of our opinion :

Nauvoo (Ill.), Nov. 20th, 1845.

To the Editor of the New York Sun :

Sir : — I hope to be excused for addressing, for the
first time in my life, a letter to the Editor of a newspaper,
and this I have been induced to do from seeing the let¬
ter of General Arlington Bennett, published in the news¬
papers, urging the Mormon people to remove to the Pa¬
cific Ocean, and advocating the cause of the tyrants , who
have seized on the government of the Mormon Church.
This church, such as it is, was formed by my lamented hus¬
band who was martyred for its sake, and whether true
or false, has laid down his life for its belief !

I am left here, sir, with a family of children to at¬
tend to, without any means of giving them an education
for there is not a school in the city , nor is it intended
there shall be any here, or at any other place, where the
men, who now govern this infatuated, simple-minded
people, have sway. I have not the least objection that
these petty tyrants remove to California or any other re¬
mote place, out of the world if they wish ; for they will
never be of any service to the Mormons, or the human
family, no matter where they go. Their object is to
keep the people over whom they rule in the greatest ig¬
norance, and most abject religious bondage, if these
poor confiding creatures remove with them, they will die
iu the wilderness ! — The laws of the United States are
quite good enough for me and my children, and my set¬
tled intention is to remain where I am, take care of my
property, and if I cannot educate my children here,
send them to New York or New England for that pur-

APPENDIX.

539

pose. Many of the Mormons will, no doubt, remove in
the spring, and many more will remain here : and noth¬
ing would give me greater pleasure than to have a mixed
society in Nauvoo, as in other cities, and all exclusive
religious distinctions abolished.

I must now say, that I never for a moment believed in
ivhat my husband called his apparitions or revelations, as
I thought him laboring under a diseased mind; yet, they
may all be true, as a Prophet is seldom without credence
or honor, excepting in his own family or country ; but
as my conviction is to the contrary, I shall educate my
children in a different faith, and teach them to obey and
reverence the laws and institutions of their country.
Shall I not, sir, be protected in these resolutions against
the annoyance of the men I now oppose, for they will no
doubt seek my life ?

What object Gen. Arlington Bennett has in advocat¬
ing the cause of these tyrants I am unable to understand,
for he assured me when at my house, that he had not
the remotest intention of connecting himself in any man¬
ner with them, much less of removing with them to the
Pacific Ocean. But this is a strange world ; and I would
not be surprised if they had offered to annoint and crown
him King or Emperor in the West ! As I have something
more to say, I will take the liberty to write you another
letter.

With great respect,

I am, sir, your humble servant,
Emma Smith.

THE MORMONS OR LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Glimpses of the History of Utah and Its Founders. -
From Life Notes, Memory, History and Statistics.

By J. E. Johnson, St. George, Utah.

[Note. — Whilst engaged in the preparation of this work,
the writer was under the necessity of applying to Utah for
certain documents he needed. These were obtained from the
gentleman above named, a former citizen of Hancock comity,
Illinois, a strong believer in the creed and mission of Mormon-
ism. In return for his many acts of kindness during this cor¬
respondence, in forwarding books and papers and responding
to enquiries, at his suggestion he was promised a hearing in

540

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

this Appendix, from his own standpoint. He accordingly
prepared and forwarded the paper which follows — to which a
place is herein cheerfully given. The intelligent reader and
all persons acquainted with the history of Mormonism, will
readily discover its many exaggerations, erroneous statements
and inferences, and perversion of facts, and be able to correct
them. It can hardly be expected that Mr. Johnson will live
to realize the extent of the monstrous delusion under which
he and his many kindred in Utah have spent their lives, and
the infamy which the world accords to its originators and
abettors.*]

Autobiography.

On the 18th day of April, 1817, 1 was born of Puritan
parents, in the then wilds of western New York, — Pom-
fret, — Chautauqua Co. , my parents having recently emi¬
grated from Grafton, Mass. I am one of sixteen chil¬
dren, born of my mother, to my father.

In the winter of 1830-31, being then 13 years old, I
first saw the so-called “Mormon Elders,” who came to
our farm-house, with their strange doctrine and the Book
of Mormon. My mother, elder brothers and sisters, and
many of our neighbors, were believers ; and in the spring
of 1832, our family removed to Kirtland, Ohio, where I
first became acquainted with Joseph Smith, the prophet,
his parents, brothers, and sisters. At that time our
house for public meetings, 16x24, was ample for the
Sunday congregation. From the time I first saw him to
the period of his death, I lived in most friendly relations
with the prophet and his kindred ; and will here state
that I never saw in him an ungenerous or dishonest ac¬
tion. In 1837 a complication of civil, religious, and po¬
litical difficulties caused a determination to abandon
Kirtland, and go to the new home in Missouri. The he-
gira began and finished up with the remaining poor, who
went in a large body called the “Kirtland Camp” in
1838, after finishing and dedicating the temple.

Ere we had reached the desired haven, the cruel order of
Gov. Boggs had been proclaimed, and many of our peo¬
ple were fleeing, for a more hospitable country, for their
lives, and were kindly received by the people of Illinois ;
many of whom were noble, high-minded, and generous
people.

* Since the foregoing was written a letter from St. George
informs us that Mr. Johnson had emigrated to Arizona and is
now dead.

APPENDIX.

641

In 1839 Nauvoo was founded, at Commerce, and many
of the exiles gathered there. Change of location and
climate, exhaustion and poverty, made this then unhealthy
region more deadly still, — all were more or less sick, and
many died.

I soon went as physician and nurse, and so acted, until
I was prostrated with fever. I was at the laying of the
foundation and capstone of the temple — was afterward
imprisoned therein, and still later saw its destruction by
fire. I was P. M. at Macedonia (now Webster) and
kept a store also. When Gov. Ford with State troops
was in Carthage, Col. A. W. Babbitt and myself went
over to talk with him. The Governor told us his plan :
to get Joseph aud Hyruin Smith to deliver themselves up
and go to Carthage jail, and he would then disband the
troops and not allow them to march into the city ; and
asked the Colonel and myself to carry a dispatch to the
prophet that night. It was raining and nearly sundown,
but we accepted the mission, ordered the buggy, and
started, but were immediately stopped by the military,
who rushed before and around us, threatening our lives if
we did not return. Sheriff Backenstos and others en¬
deavored in vain to open our way, and not until the
Governor stood on our carriage and loudly commanded
a dispersion, were we allowed to go on. Darkness came.
We were pursued, but having turned towards La Harpe,
when we reached the open prairie, we were saved. All
that stormy night in the wet prairie, we traveled, and at
daylight found ourselves near W arsaw — turned our course
—presented the Governor’s message — waited a day,
•when Joseph and Hyrum Smith, accepting the Governor’s
promise of protection, started on return with us to Carth¬
age. But meeting the officer sent to demand the State
arms, the party returned to Nauvoo.

Early in spring, after the death of the prophet, while
in bed at home in Macedonia, I was awakened and called
to the door by some 30 mounted men and told to leave
the country within 30 days, — nor stay at my peril. I
asked why, what had I done? and was answered “ Noth¬
ing ; ” but that were I permitted to stay, other Mormons
would remain, and they were determined to rid the county
of all speedily. Unable to dispose of property or gain
means, I went meantime to Nauvoo, to gain time ;

542 THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

was present and bore arms in the fight between the new
citizens and so-called posse ; was taken prisoner and
incarcerated in the temple. Afterward I was permitted
my liberty ( ?) on condition of leaving the State in 1 2
hours, to which I agreed. There being no ferry boat run¬
ning, I took the first steamer, which happened to be bound
for Galena, and with my family left Illinois. The excite¬
ment and exertion consequent upon the rapid transpira¬
tion of events brought on a severe attack of fever, and
I was prostrate and delirious, and first found myself and
family on the levee at the steamer landing at Galena . Find¬
ing small chance here for one so destitute, we must needs
return by next steamer, and landed at Montrose sick
and destitute. Mr. Peck paid my debt to the steamer,
and we took first opportunity to remove up the Des Moines
river, and in the spring of 1849 arrived at Kanesville
(now Council Bluffs) ; built a storehouse, the first frame
building built on the Missouri slope, and started a store,
supplying the great overland emigration to Utah and
California. In 1850, being in bad health, I crossed the
plains to Utah in July, and returned in October greatly
improved in health.

In 1852, I, in company with Almon W. Babbitt, es¬
tablished the Council Bluffs Bugle , a weekly democratic
newspaper, which was destroyed by fire in 1853, together
with my stores and business, taking nearly all I had ;
but soon another office was in its place, and I published
the paper until 1856, and had meantime issued the Oma¬
ha Arrow , the first paper published in Nebraska ; and
also established another office at Crescent City, Iowa, and
published the Crescent City Oracle, and in ’57 the Council
Bluffs Press ; and at Wood River Center, Central Ne¬
braska, the Huntsman's Echo was published, and a mer¬
cantile supply station established. In autumn of 1858 I
(Johnson, Blake & Co.) sent the first train of goods for
miners’ supplies to the ‘ ‘ Cherry Creek ” mines, and we built
the first house on the new site of Denver City. Being
editor of a democratic paper, and not approving the war
programme, — I concluded it prudent to leave the frontier,
and go to my kindred and people in Utah, which I did in
1861, since which my labors have been divided between
horticulture, mercantile and publishing pursuits.

I am now 65 years old, and I have 17 living children and

APPENDIX.

18 grandchildren, — all a pride and comfort to me. The
descendants of my parents, now settled in the Rocky
Mountain region, number over 500 — among whom there
is no one profane, a drunkard, a gambler, or a harlot !

The Hegira from Nauvoo.

Early in February, 1846, the Mormons began crossing
the Mississippi River, exiles from Nauvoo, to seek a
home in a laud of which little was known, except that it
was a mountain desert ; and by the first of March 400
wagons had accumulated a few miles from the river, in
Iowa, and in organizations of tens, fifties, and hundreds,
officered and ready. Though scantily supplied with
even necessaries, the cavalcade started northwestwards,
towards the Rocky Mountains. From inclemency of the
weather, and scant supply of teams, the able-bodied,
male and female, traveled on foot, and great hardships
and much suffering were experienced in the slow toiling
progress through snow, mud, and storm, many falling
sick on the way over a trackless country across unsettled
Iowa.

That the sick might be cared for, and rest given to
teams exhausted, two settlements were made on the
route, called severally Garden Grove anc\ Mount Pisgah,
where rude houses were erected, ground broken, and
crops planted ; all teams that were able pushing ou, the
foremost arriving at Council Bluffs early in June, then
occupied by the Pottawattamie Indians. On the 26th
of that month, a United States recruiting officer arrived
in camp, by order of the President of the United States,
asking for the enlistment of a battalion of 500 men to
march to California to seize and hold that country, then
a Mexican State. This demand was cheerfully responded
to, the enlisted men officered, and on the 15th of July
commenced their march.

The loss of so large a force from the camp made it im¬
possible to move forward that season. So a location was
selected on the west side of the Missouri river, by consent
of the Omaha Indians, who owned that country ; houses
were built, the prarie sod turned over, and much of late
crops planted, ranges for stock selected, men sent into
Missouri to obtain grain and provisions for their labor,
and all that was possible was done to sustain and feed

544

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

the multitude through the approaching winter. The place
was named “Winter Quarters,” and before the falling of
snow, a city of near 500 rude buildings had been built
for dwellings, shops, schools and houses of worship.
From toil, hardship and privations of the journey, change
of climate and habits, many who hopefully started upon
this pilgrimage were laid to rest upon a high bluff above
the rude town ; while the graves of others who fell by the
way marked the course of their journeying with sad
monuments of their religious zeal, and faith in the doc¬
trine this people professed. In course of the winter and
spring, flour, meal and meat were brought up from Mis¬
souri — the result of labor and exchange of such property
as could be spared — to amply supply the multitude, that
by springtime had gathered for the journey. Watches,
jewelry, and many valuable trifles were exchanged for
food, clothing, and necessaries for the journey; and
ou the 7th of July, 1847, as many as could be mus¬
tered with safe teams and outfit started from Winter
Quarters, leaving the remainder in a condition to x'aise
their bread until prepared to follow. The camp con¬
sisted of 73 wagons, 143 men, 3 women and 2 children,
148 souls, — the families remaining behind to follow the
train of the pioneers whenever the condition of things
would permit.

This party was organized into companies of tens, with
a captain over each, with Brigham Young as Commander-
in-Chief ; and thus equipped, organized, and officered,
made the first white man’s wagon trail up the Platte
River ; making boats and rafts upon which to cross
streams, killing buffalo enough for the meat supply,
arriving in sight of Chimney Rock May 23d, at Fort
Laramie June 1st, and the South Pass on the 26th. On
the 4th of July the passage of Green River was made ;
and here they met Samuel Brannan, who had previously
landed at San Francisco with a company from the east
in the ship BrooJclynn , whence he had come to pilot the
pioneers on their journey.

Entering Salt Lake Valley.

On the 24th of July, 1847, the company of pioneers
entered Great Salt Lake Valley, and encamped on the
site of Salt Lake City, celebrating the event by worship

APPENDIX.

545

and rejoicing. The next day plowing ground for crops
commenced, and potatoes and many seeds were put in
the ground, and water for irrigation taken from City
Creek in a ditch. In days following the country was ex¬
plored 100 miles north and nearly as far south. On the
29th about 400 of the Mormon Battalion returning from
the Pacific arrived at the camp, having in company 100 of
their brethren from Mississippi, adding 400 head of stock.
The site of Salt Lake City was determined in council.
On Sunday, the 20th, a conference was held and men
chosen both for civil and religions officers of the colony,
and on the 26th most of the Battalion and pioneers
started on their return to Winter Quarters, where their
families had been left. On their return they met 600
wagons of familes and brethren on their way to their
new home, and arrived at Winter Quarters, Oct. 31st.

The next year the emigration for Salt Lake numbered
nearly 1,000 wagons, — and thus was the foundation
laid for the richest and most populous and prosperous
territory of the Rocky Mountains ; rich in climate, pure
water, minerals, grasses, and the varied products of the
soil.

At Work in Earnest.

Now explorations continue, roads are made into the
canons for timber and lumber, houses built, lands sur¬
veyed, fields fenced, and the city laid out ; lands plowed,
canals dug, and seeds of every attainable utilitarian plant
put into the ground ; and local government established.
Settlements were extended north, south, and west fifty
miles. The year following, the first crops in nearly all
the settlements were devastated by crickets, that brought
the colonists nearly to a state of starvation. Bran-bread,
wild roots, and sometimes the hides of cattle, were sweet
morsels. Late crops were planted and happily saved
the colony. The colony was increased to many thou¬
sands, and settlements increased. A constitutional con¬
vention was called, a constitution and state govern¬
ment provided, and representatives sent to Washington
on behalf of the “ State of Deseret.” Congress took
action and organized the country into the Territory of
Utah in 1850, with Brigham Young as governor, — and
there was peace, prosperity, and plenty in the land.

546

TIIE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

In 1849 began the rush of emigration from the East
for the El Dorado of gold in California, first discovered
by members of the Mormon Battalion, while digging a
mill-race for Captian Sutter. The next year the tide of
gold-seekers was immense, and millions of dollars’ worth
of property was left by the roadside, and in Salt Lake ex¬
changed for trifles, including wagons, merchandise, tools,
and every conceivable thing needed by the colonists.
For these they exchanged the produce of the country,
fresh teams, pack-saddles, etc. These were providential
supplies on both sides — saving life with one party, and
driving want from the other. And thus this young col¬
ony largely facilitated the settlement of the Golden
State.

When gold was discovered in California, Captain Sam.
Brannan (one of my old schoolmates) , together with the
remnant of the Mormon Battalion, and passengers on
the Brooklynn , together joined in the gold search, aban¬
doning the site of San Francisco, where they had made
claims, and settled ; and within a year large sums were
collected, of which one-tenth was paid as tithing, and
soon a golden currency was coined at Salt Lake, and for
several years was used in commercial business at par.
Being lighter than U. S. coin, but without alloy, its
coinage and use were discontinued. This influx of the
precious metal materially assisted the colonists in the
purchase of machinery greatly needed, and aided the
large emigration that yearly crossed the plains with
wagons.

The Federal officers, non-residents in the Territory,
arrived in July, 1851 ; but not satisfied, returned and
resigned their commissions the following year.

These vacancies were subsequently filled by the ap¬
pointment of Messrs. Kinney, Stiles, and Drummond to
the bench, and A. W. Babbitt, of Utah, secretary. Ex¬
cepting the last named, these returned, in 1856, to Wash¬
ington, and their falsehood and misrepresentation of
the condition of things in Utah, was the cause of send¬
ing an army to Utah in a. d. 1857, upon the strength
of the statements of these men, without having sent a
commission to ascertain the facts.

The people of Utah withstood this outrage upon their
rights as American citizens, and refused to allow the

APPENDIX.

547

army to enter the settlement. Meantime the legislative
assembly met and sent a memorial to Congress, asking
to be heard. Commissioners were finally sent, and re¬
turning, made report of the utter falsehood of the judges.
The army marched in and formed an encampment at
Camp Floyd ; the new Governor (Gumming) was installed
the people of the colony exoneraed from the crimes
charged against them, and peace again restorad, at a
cost to the government of some millions of dollars, paid
for the administrative blunder.

Much credit is due to Thomas L. Kane for the settle¬
ment and prompt adjustment of this difficulty.

Industries and enterprise again assert their sway ; set¬
tlements are yearly extended — even into surrounding
territories ; machinery, mills, and factories set in mo¬
tion ; and again the destructive cricket and grasshopper
appear in myriads on several occasions. In 1861 and ’62
the Atlantic and Pacific telegraph was completed, and
settlements extended to Bear Lake in the north, and to
the Colorado, far south of the southern line of Utah. In
January, 1870, the last rail of the Utah Central Railroad
was laid at Salt Lake City, amid the rejoicing of many
thouands who had gathered to witness it and the ap¬
pearance of the first train of cars from the junction (at
Ogden) with the Union and Central Pacific, which the
colonists had greatly assisted in constructing.

The same year the Utah Legislature passed the bill
granting suffrage to women ; also, previous to the last
date, the people of Utah had built telegraph lines to
every important settlement in the territory, and at a later
date extended a line into Nevada, at Pioche, and north
into Idaho. The Utah Southern and extension reached
its present terminus in 1880, and they also had built a
line north from Ogden into Idaho, and another westward.
The vast mining operations going forward, nearly the
whole extent of the territory, together with a large sur¬
plus of grain and other produce, the need of machinery
and moving of produce, greatly hastened the completion
of these roads. The settlements and the region of W ash-
ington and Kane counties possess a mild climate, and
produce most semi-tropical fruits and crops, cotton, exotic
grapes, etc., in great perfection.

Since 1875, a large number of Utah colonists have

548

THE PltOFIIET OF PALMYRA.

been settling the vacant regions of Arizona, New Mex¬
ico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada ; and these
are reckoned among the most industrious and enterpris¬
ing of the good citizens of these regions. The numbers
of this people in these mountain regions, outside of Utah,
will approximate 75,000.

Brigham Young, the founder of Utah, died at the age
of seventy-six, and was deeply mourned by all his people.
Following his death, the twelve apostles assumed control
of the affairs and interests of the church, and were thus
sustained by all the congregations.

The mining, commercial, manufacturing, legal, and
other business has grown to important proportions ; the
people are in many instances wealthy, and all are well-
to-do, there being no citizen paupers.

This condition of things has attracted many lawyers,
speculators, and sharpers. Some of these men have been
government appointees to official positions. An antag¬
onism has ever been fostered by these people, termed
outsiders , newspapers published, clubs organized, and
every means employed, including the aid of missionaries
of various denominations, to break up the unity and co¬
hesiveness of the people, that they may obtain political
control. Congress has been repeatedly appealed to, to
aid in the work of taking from the people their religious
and political rights, and in a number of instances they
have succeeded in getting laws passed by Congress, os¬
tensibly for the eradication of polygamy, but really for
the purpose of breaking up and destroying the religious
system of the people of Utah, as is apparent on reading
the discussions in Congress, on the recently passed
Edmunds Bill, and the published admissions of the au¬
thors of this un-American measure.

Utah to-day, under “ Mormon rule,” is the most pros¬
perous, and best governed of all the Rocky Mountain
States and Territories. Let us see — “ A tree is known
by its fruits,” is a trite and true saying. Let us reason
together — shake the tree, examine and test the fruit, ere
we judge the tree, or the doctrines, teachings, and practices
that bring such results.

All the facts, figures, and statements following are de¬
duced from published official reports, and open and ad¬
mitted facts, in approximate measure and number.

APPENDIX.

549

The present (1882) population of Utah is 150,000 ; of
this there are but about 15,000 non-Mormons.

This population is distributed among 250 cities, towns,
and settlements ; Salt Lake City, with a population of 20,-
000, is the largest city and capital — politically, religiously,
and commercially of the territory.

There are in Utah 1,000 miles of telegraph and 500
miles of railroad.

Value of exports and imports, $20,000,000 annually.

Amount of jobbing and trade, $12,000,000.

Annual value of manufactures, $500,000 (not includ¬
ing mining) .

Annual product of mines, $10,000,000.

Utah contains 85,000 square miles. Of this there are
in cultivation 250,000 acres. Varying in altitude from
2,900 feet above sea level at St. George, in the extreme
south, to 6,440 in the far north at Randolph, on Bear
River. The Wasatch Mountains rise to an altitude above
the sea level from 6,000 to 13,000 feet.

Great Salt Lake covers an area of nearly 4,000 square
miles.

The coal lands in Utah, as returned by government
surveyors to the land office in Salt Lake City, are 125-
GOO acres.

Value of capital used in mining and reduction works,
$25,000,000, approximately.

Valuable minerals and ores found in Utah, and more
or less worked ; viz., gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, an¬
timony, arsenic, sulphur, alum, sulphate of iron, cement,
lime, salt, potash, mineral wax, asphaltum, plaster of
Paris, and last but not least, iron and coal in vast quanti¬
ties.

Utah has 100 flouring mills, 125 saw mills, 20 tanner¬
ies, 6 cotton and woolen mills with 5,000 spindles, 20
boot and shoe factories, 10 furniture manufactories, a
number of foundries and machine shops, broom manu¬
factories, 25 printing-offices, and as many newspapers.

Acres in fruit, 8,000, annual value, $500,000.

Number of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, and
swine, 600,000, valued at $8,000,000. Wool clip of 1882,
estimated at 2,000,000 lbs., value $500,000.

School population in Utah, 35,000, and over 350
schoolhouses ; the school property representing a value

550

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

of three-fourths of a million dollars. Money raised by
taxation for school purposes, $35,000 ; appropriated by
the Legislature for schools, 20,000. There are several
academies and one collage in Utah.

Comparative Illiteracy.

The amount per capita of our school population that
is invested in school property, Utah, exceeds several
southern and western states, — is in advance of both
Indiana and Illinois, and the general average of the
entire Union. According to the population, Utah, as
compared with Massachusetts —

Has a larger percentage of school attendance ;

A smaller percentage of illiteracy ;

Less percentage of convicts ;

Only about a fifth of the percentage of insane ;

No paupers among our citizens ;

A larger percentage of printing establishments ;

A much larger percentage of churches.

Utah has far less percentage of white population that
cannot read and write, that are over 10 years of age,
than the white population of the whole United States.

The percentage of total white population who cannot
write in Utah, is 5.71. Sixteen states and territories
show a far higher percentage — eight being above 15, and
two above 20; Rhode Island having 8.72 and Massa¬
chusetts 5.14.

Before the advent of non-Mormons into Utah there
were no saloons, no gambling houses, no gaudy temples
cf departed virtue, and prostitution was unknown, until
introduced by United States officials.

There are in Utah 300 societies for the relief of the
poor and afflicted, with a fund at their disposal aggre¬
gating over $100,000.

Through the bishops and others, in all the cities,
towns, and settlements, provisions are made that no
human being need go hungry.

In every town and settlement in the territory there
are organizations for mutual improvement of the young
that hold regular meetings monthly or oftener, having
good libraries, and lectures, scientific and religious.

In nearly every settlement, town, and city, there are

APPENDIX.

551

organizations for agricultural improvement, — gardeners’
clubs and pomological societies.

In every ward in the Territory teachers are appointed,
whose duty it is to watch over the actions and interests of
the people, restrain disorder, to settle all difficulties, peace¬
ably if possible, and bring to account the refractory and
those who trespass upon their neighbors, and to promote
good feeling and brotherly love and unity.

Criminality.

The non-Mormon population of Utah is about 10 per
cent. The arrests made in Salt Lake City for the year
1881, were 1,020 ; of this number 169 claimed to be Mor¬
mons, and 851 were non-Mormons.

In the city and county prisons, there were recently 35
prisoners, all non-Mormons, and in all the 14 jails and
prisons in the Territory, there were 125 prisoners, and of
these 114 were non-Mormons.

Of the 20 counties in the Territory, 13 are almost ex¬
clusively Mormon, and these contain no dram shop,
brewery, gaming house, brothel, bowling saloon, or
pauper. All houses of prostitution, and other disrepu¬
table concerns in the Territory, are kept and patronized
by non-Mormons.

Eighty per cent, of all litigation in the Territory, is of
outside growth and promotion.

Over eighty per cent, of suicides, homicides, and in¬
fanticides, in the Territory, are perpetrated by the 17
per cent, of non-Mormons.

The Mormon population are peaceful, law-abiding,
industrious, temperate, social, hospitable, and honest, as
a rule.

They built several hundred miles of both railroad and
telegraph, through the Eocky Mountains. They have
built all the other railroads and telegraph lines in Utah.

They have paid the expense of emigrating more than
50,000 of the industrious poor from Europe, and many
of these are now among our most thriving farmers and
artisans.

In 1830 Joseph Smith organized a church of but six
members. The present month was 52 years since that
occurred. In that time, the doctrines he promulgated
have been preached to every nation of the civilized world,

552

THE PROPHET OF PALMYRA.

and the present number of believers in this doctrine,
and members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, called
Mormons, reach the enormous number of nearly 300,000,
counting all ages, of white population, and representing
a property value of over $100,000,000.

In all honesty and fairness, can this people truthfully
be called poor, ignorant , indolent , criminal , or unchris¬
tian? Judge them by their fruits.

HAVE YOU SEEN
Gregg's. Mormon Book*

THE

PROPHET OF PALMYRA !

The trace of the careful historian is
tobe seen through its pages- — Hamilton
Pointer-

Replete with historical information.—
Warsaw Bulletin.

This book contains just the informa¬
tion that every intelligent citizen of Han¬
cock county should possess. - Carthage
Gazette.

Does not hesitate to call black black,
and a spade a spade. — Inter-Ocean.

The book is full of matters of great in¬
terest. — San Francisco Morning Call.

Mr. Gregg writes not as a partisan. -
Philadelphia Public Ledger.

It is full; complete, and extremely
readable. The tone you have adopted is
calm and impartial. It forms a ui st val¬
uable contribution to the history of the
time. — Col- John Hay.

Your book has not been noticed for the
reason that the glaring and malicious
falsehoods with which it abounds render
it too contemptible to deserve a notice.
— Editor Salt Lake Deseret News-

We think that a general circulation of
this book in the West would accomplish
much practical good. — Burlington Post.

I have read your book, The Prophet of
Palmyra, with great pleasure and profit
From mv connection with Mormon affairs
from 1843 to 1846, I am better prepared
to compliment your fullness and accuracy
—though able to correct you in several
details of facts.— M. Brayman. fOnce
an Ill. State Official and Ex.Gov. Idaho.

We believe that Mr.Gregg has endeav¬
ored to silt the truth from the mass of
—Keokuk Dent.

HAVE YOU SEEN

Gregg's Mormon Book.

‘ THE

PROPHET OF PALMYRA !

The traee «l the careful historian is
to he seen through its pages- — Hamilton
Pointer-

Replete with historical information. —
Warsaw Bulletin.

This book contains just the informa¬
tion that every intelligent citizen of Han¬
cock county should possess. - Carthage
Gazette.

Does not hesitate to call black black,
and a spade a spade. — Inter-Ocean.

The book is full of matters of great in¬
terest. — San Franciseo Morning Call.

Mr. Gregg writes not as a partisan. -
Philadelphia Public Ledger.

It is fpll. complete, aud. extrem&U-
readable. The tone you have adopted is
calm aod impartial. It forms a ni 'St val¬
uable contribution to the history of the
time. — Col. John Hay.

Your book has not been noticed for the
reason that the glaring and malicious
falsehoods with which it abounds render
it too contemptible to deserve a notice.
—Editor Salt Lake Deseret News.

We think that a general circulation of
this book in the West would accomplish
much practical good.— Burlington Post.

I have read your book, The Prophet of
Palmyra, with great pleasure and profit
Prom mV connection with Mormon affairs
from 1813 to 1846, I am better prepared
to compliment your fullness and accuracy
—though able to correct you in several
details of facts.— M. Brayman. TOnce
an I11.45tate Official and Ex.Gov. Idaho.

We believe that Mr.Gregg has endeav¬
ored to sift the truth from the mass of
exaggerated traditions —Keokuk Dem.

His book is the most valuable one that
has appeared upon the subject —Keokuk

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